A Different Path
by Catwhiskers24
Summary: When a clumsy, awkward teen stumbles her way into her favorite video game, her life changes forever. When she finds out that she is a Defender, she expects to go on an adventure with Link. But no, all her plans are ruined when she is mistaken as the Spirit Maiden, and her fate becomes twisted with a certain flamboyant demon lord's. What happens next, neither one of them expected...
1. Chapter 1

**Prologue**

**Hey everyone! Catwhiskers24 here. This is my first fanfiction, so we'll just see how this goes. I already have the whole thing planned out, it's just a matter of actually writing it. I will warn you that I suffer from a disease called procrastination. Anyway, this should be fun.**

**Warning: Bloodshed, cliffhangers, backstories, plot twists, Spanish, minor swearing, character death, mental breakdowns, narcissistic demons in spandex, OC's, clumsy idiots...**

**FYI, I struggle to come up with names for OCs and minor characters. But most of them do have some significance, even if it isn't obvious at first.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own LOZ or it's characters, but I do own my OC's, plot twists, and altered story lines.**

* * *

Well, this is it. The moment I've—no, _we've—_been waiting for. We'd finally be free of the scourge of this world: Demise.

But there was one little flaw in my perfectly devised plan. I was preoccupied at that moment. How, you ask?

See the average sized teenage girl over there? The one with the brown hair tucked in the messiest French braid that had ever existed? The one being strangled by the guy almost a third taller than her? Yup. That's the one. That's me. And my attacker happens to be my best friend. And look at that! He's trying to kill me! Ah, the good times we've shared.

I've saved his life countless times. Once a few minutes ago actually. It was the kiss-of-life if you will. And yet, all of that was ruined by the master I thought he'd turned his back on. Oh well. C'est la vie.

Oh, and the two blondes behind me are Link and my brother. And yes, they _are_ unconscious. The hero of time, with the Triforce of Courage leaves me to fight _his_ battle. Sad. My hero.

Anyways, I'm being rude. People tend to call me Marissa. And Ocean. And M&amp;M, Marissa 24, Mar, Scotty (Long story; trust me.), Issy, you get the picture. Anyways, call me what you like. Wait, I take that back. Call me Marissa, or feel my wrath burn you with the heat of a thousand suns.

As I stared into his eyes, his cold, dead, pearly white eyes, I stared into the face of fear. I probably would've laughed to live out the old cliché, but you know, I can't breathe and all.

Maybe I should've expected this, considering his past, but I didn't. Actually, that's a lie. A few months ago, I would think it would be incredibly possible. But now...I mean after all we've been through...

As I stared into his pale eyes, cloudy with the influence of his master, I lost hope. I went limp and dropped my sword. There was no way I could kill him.

**"Finish her."** Demise snarled from the side. His fiery amber hair was blazing like some messed up optical illusion. I really despise that guy.

My attacker's grip tightened around my throat. His face twisted in a nasty smirk as he felt the fight leaving his prey.

"Hey...remember how you promised you wouldn't hurt me? Yeah...this _kinda hurts_..." I wheezed. The expression on his face didn't change. His eyes kept that cold, blood-thirsty gleam.

Now I know what you're thinking: how the heck did I get here? Well, since I have nothing else to do, I suppose I could tell you how we got from point A to point B. This is my crazy, messed up story, so grab a soda and a bag of popcorn, and hold on, 'cause it's one helluva ride.

* * *

**Ta-da! I hope you guys liked it. I know that if you're actually interested, you probably have lots of questions. But don't worry, everything will get answered eventually. Please leave a review! Cia later! **

**Ha. Hyrule Warriors pun.**

**~Catwhiskers24~**


	2. Chapter 2

**Happy Thanksgiving everyone! So here's chapter 1. I apologize for the indenting problem with each paragraph. My computer is being a pain with formatting. *sigh* technology is wonderful. Anyway, this is just the exposition so sorry for lack of action. There'll be plenty of that later. Also, there's some minor coarse language, but it's not that bad. Anyway, thanks to all of you who subscribed and commented. I love you guys. Well, here it is. Catwhiskers24 out! ㈳2:)**

*****Now newly updated.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own LoZ, just my OC's.**

* * *

_**Let me get one thing straight—I never asked for any of this. I never asked for anyone to get hurt because of me. In fact, that used to be something I was terrified of. So I never let myself get too attached to anyone in particular. Until, you know, I slipped up, and fear became reality.**_

_**Well, anyway, You know those books that begin with spoilers? You know what I'm talking about—the ones with first sentences of "this is the story of how I died," or "don't die like I did." They're getting quite popular lately...but there's just one problem with that now—it's totally cliche.**_

_**So I'm not going to do that to you folks. Why tell you who dies? Where's the fun in that? No, I'm going to do quite the opposite, in fact.**_

_**This is the story of how I survive. Is there a catch? Nope. That's the 100% truth. I make it through the very last page of this book without dying. Pretty great, huh?**_

_**What, you don't believe me? Well, how else would I be writing this if I freaking die at the end? Chew on that for me, will you?**_

_**Anyways, I can guarantee you that I don't die... but I can't say the same for the other characters. Everything that happens in this story shows why I don't let myself get attached to anyone. I learned that lesson long ago, and yet I ended up having to learn it all over again.**_

_**That's kind of why I'm telling you this story. I don't want you to make the same mistakes I did. I'm only telling you all this because...to be honest... Life happens. You're going to get hurt. Real bad. And if you let yourself be vulnerable to Life...well...Life has a habit of doing terrible things.**_

_**Many great authors have personified Death. Some make Death seem like a deity who has no problem using his power, while others have personified him to be more of a spirit with little to no control over his domain. Some make him seem evil, some think of him as the raw truth, and others make him stand for a combination of things.**_

_**But here's the thing:**_

_**You always hear about death being scary and fearful. Something that you should fight at all cost to avoid. But let me tell you about this—**_

_**If you've lived a good life, no matter what mistakes you've made, mistakes that have cost you dearly, what pain you've suffered... All of that shouldn't matter. You want to know why? Think about everyone who never gets that chance, to love someone, to have a good family, all those things we take for granted.**_

_**Things that I've taken for granted.**_

_**Now, think about if Death really should scare you. A long life doesn't always mean a good life. A certain near-immortal someone I'll introduce you to later can tell you that himself.**_

_**Well, now it's my turn. And instead of personifying Death, I'm going to attempt to explain Life. Life truly is the greatest deceiver. While Death is grim, honest, and fair, Life is cruel. Life cares little to nothing who she hurts.**_

_**So this is what I'm going to do: I'm going to make you fall in love with some of these people, just as I have. People who you've never even met. And then I'm going to crush you with their ultimate demise.**_

_**Hey, it's only fair.**_

_**Now, like I said, the sole purpose of me—or, well, us—writing this is to record my adventure for anyone to read. I think that if I don't get this out, I'm going to lose my sanity, so here it goes. Time for a little cliche of my own.**_

This is the story of how a fourteen year old girl found the confidence and courage to save an entire world.

_**No. That doesn't sound right. That's not how you start writing a story like mine. Let's try this again.**_

I was never afraid of the idea of death. I'm not sure why. It just never scared me. But that was before I actually experienced someone's death. This is the story of how a teenage girl tried to be a hero and ended up...

_**NO. I don't want to get all sappy on you guys. Here we go:**_

I've made some dumb decisions. Lots of them. But most of them only ever impacted me. This is the story of how dumb a straight-A student can really be. In fact, I was so stupid that it literally killed a bunch of people, two of which were friends of mine. What can I say? Sometimes I can be gullible.

_**Good, but not good enough. I'm writing this not only to remember what happened and to tell you about it, but also to honor those who suffered from my stupid mistakes. Let's try this again.**_

Sometimes I don't think, and other times I think too much. But of all things that I do, I do NOT kill. I don't have the guts. And yet, this is the story of how I killed two of the best friends I've ever had.

_**Alright, hang on. DON'T WORRY. It's no one you know. Both of them are from a different world entirely. So it wasn't my best friend of this world. Nah, Allison's fine, even if she is pissed off at me for constantly disappearing.**_

_**Where did I go, anyway? Have you ever heard of the Legend of Zelda? You know, that popular game with the mute boy with blonde hair who isn't named Zelda? And Link isn't mute. I would know.**_

_**So now you must be really confused. The thing is, Legend of Zelda isn't a game. Okay, so maybe it is to most people, but I know better. It's actually a simulation based off of a world where these characters actually do exist. A lot of people tried the sim, even if they didn't know what they were getting themselves into. People like me. And out of all those people, one was chosen to play a part in the fate of said world. And who was that lucky person? I bet you can guess.**_

_**Let's see. If I am going to start this, then I better do this right. Stories are supposed to teach a moral right? I sure learned a lot from the past few years. Let's give this a try:**_

People are people. Not cans of soup. You can't just label them how you see them, because I promise you, if you really knew who they are, and what they've been through, you'd feel blind. I'm guilty of that just as much as you are. But after all I've been through, I've learned you can't just judge a person by their cover, or by that two paragraph synopsis on the back, or even their first page. Because just feel this book. This is the first of many pages and you still have no idea who I am. There's still a whole stack of unread pages under your right thumb. How do you know what this book is going to be like? It could be awesome!

Or it could suck.

Anyway, my point is, sometimes people have a habit of writing other people off. They take what they know, or consider popular belief, and they let that guide them. They let themselves judge others, ruling them out as nerds, geeks, jocks, or in my case, good and evil. But after all I've been through, I've realized how easily the fine line between these two...abstract ideas...can be crossed.

**_Okay, now we're talking. But I need something more powerful than that. Something to blow your socks off. I've probably just bored you by now, haven't I?_**

**_Alright, one more time. Here it goes. Straight from the heart._**

I thought I had everything figured out. I thought it was my duty to fix him. But there's a difference between fixing someone and changing someone. I may have tried to fix him, but I changed him. And he changed me. What I called healing ended up leading to his ultimate destruction. Of course, some say what I did for him, or maybe to him, has another name.

_**Alright, so as horrible and depressing as this all sounds, it's actually a pretty good story. So maybe things didn't work out so well, but trust me, you should read it. I'm getting distracted. Back to telling you the story.**_

_**Now, I know you probably have no idea who I am, or what I'm talking about, so let's begin the story, shall we?**_

_It was the beginning of school, _I remember. The third week, perhaps? But this was no ordinary school year. It was my freshman year. So naturally, I had the right to be terrified. A new school, new people, more homework, more chances to completely humiliate myself in front of my peers. Unfortunately, I was _blessed_ with big feet, and average, if not shorter, height. I was practically a hobbit. Between this, and my tendency to be a bit over-energetic and awkwardly spazzy, I was pretty clumsy. Some of my friends call me 'Klutz' for this reason.

Anyway, it was a normal day at school. We arrived just in time on this frigid, fall day. My brother, Isaac, was a sophomore. Next year he would be able to drive us to school. But for that year, though, our dad had that job. We said our goodbyes and headed in.

There's one pretty significant thing you notice when you walk into our school: it's a giant circle. So in other words, it is near-impossible to get lost. Not to say that I haven't accomplished that before.

I walked to my locker, filled my backpack with the necessary textbooks, and then headed to band.

"Meyer!" I whipped around at sound of my last name. A tall girl approached me, her hair braided as usual. Moraa. Perky, funny, a good friend. We met in the office of our elementary school when we were in fifth grade. Both of our moms had forgotten to pick us up, and neither of them were answering the phone when we attempted to call them. So as we slowly lost our minds from terror, a beautiful friendship was born.

I should add that the reason no one was picking up was that no one ever told me that I had to add a 1 to the beginning of numbers when using the school phones. But anyway... Back to story.

"What do you want, Mora?" I demanded, accidentally using a tone that was a little less than friendly.

"Well hello to you, too, grouchypants." Mora retorted, rolling her eyes. I sighed.

"Sorry. I'm just a little tense because I couldn't find my clarinet this morning. What am I supposed to say to Mr. Coulson?" I asked, half hoping that she would have an answer.

"You realize you left it in your band locker, right?"

I felt a blush of embarrassment flush my cheeks. "Oh. Right." We walked into the band room, I found my clarinet, and class went on as usual. We played music, Mr. Coulson yelled at the percussion a bit, and then we left. Simple. The next few classes went by in a rush. Being that it was Friday, everyone was just getting through the day so it would be the weekend. By lunchtime, I had little homework, and I was in an exceptionally good mood.

I walked into the deadly arena that was our school's cafeteria. It was a ferocious battle ground for anyone who didn't have any friends with the same lunch hour. I felt a surge of thankfulness that I wasn't one of those people as I lugged my boulder of a backpack to the lunch table. My friends glanced up as I approached. Emma was busy studying for some history test. Allison, as always, had her nose buried in a book. Tara was the first one to notice me, taking a bite of her ice-cream as she watched me arrive.

"Fashionably late as always, I see," she remarked as I set down my backpack and slapped my lunch tray on the table.

"Yeah, well. Lunch is the only chance I get to go to my locker, remember? It's not by any of my classes. Besides, I had to go through the lunch line," I pointed out, beginning to eat the tasteless school food.

"Okay, guys, I'm seriously nervous for this history test," Emma announced, her eyes wide with anxiety. I nodded acknowledgment as I nibbled on the corner of a piece of pizza.

Tara wrinkled her brow. "Wait, doesn't Peterson usually have open note quizzes?"

"Yeah…" Emma said.

"Then why are you studying?"

Emma just shrugged

Tara glanced at the clock and groaned, "Oh... Dang it. I've gotta go finish a test in English. Ms. Walsh will freak out if I'm late." She picked up her backpack, and headed towards the doors.

"Good luck, Tara!" Allison called.

"See you later!" Emma added.

"Bye!" I chimed in. Tara waved over her shoulder sadly. We all returned to our previous activities—mine being eating. Not thinking, I took another bite of the pizza. It tasted like a greasy slab of wheat and cold tomato sauce.

"Eww...this pizza is _nasty,_" I grumbled, dropping it on my plate in disgust.

"It's school food, what did you expect?" Allison pointed out.

"True." I agreed. "So, what now?"

"Truth or Dare?"

"Eh, sure, why not," I shrugged. "Dare." We played this game when we got bored. I know, I know, it's stupid and typical of teenage girls, but when we did weird dares, it could be pretty funny.

Allison grinned a wide, fiendish grin. "I dare thee to…" She looked around the cafeteria, and her grin widened.

"Look, if it has to involve anyone in particular, at least make it someone I know okay? Not any of the extremely popular kids." At our school, there were mainly three types of students. One class was a portion who stayed to themselves, and isolated themselves from the rest of the school. They only wanted to be popular among themselves. Then there was the middle class like my friends and I. We were on pleasant terms with just about everyone, and had plenty of friends, but we weren't the type of overly confident kids who had the courage to make a smart remark to the teacher without worrying about embarrassing themselves. Those were the popular kids. They were basically the aristocrats of popularity. Their parents were wealthy and let them go to every party and sporting event they desired. These kids typically had a clever reference or remark for everything, and they know just about every word with an inappropriate connotation. They couldn't be more confident or comfortable with themselves. My friends and I couldn't say the same

"Fine," Allison scowled. "Go up to Daryl's table and—"

"Wait, not Daryl," I interrupted. Allison tilted her head.

"Why not?"

"Remember the last time I did a dare near him? The dramatic fall in the middle of the cafeteria?"

"Well I didn't tell you to do it in _front_ of him," she retorted dryly.

"Still…remember what he said?"

Allison giggled. "Yeah…"

"Wait, what did he say?" Emma asked.

"Well, when I fell down, he happened to be right there, and he was like 'Are you high?'"

"Fine. Then you have to…" Allison looked around again. "Hug Krammer."

"Evan?" I asked. "No way! You know I don't hug random people. Especially not boys. I'm too shy. Reserved. They'd probably think I'm weird, and then Evan would make some embarrassing, inappropriate joke. It'd be social suicide."

"Exactly," She said with a grin. "Now do it."

"I will…if you go say 'hi' to Ethan." I said, jerking my head towards the sophomore table beside us. She'd met the kid once, and they seemed like they were friends, but her, even less confident than me around our peers, insisted that he wouldn't want to talk to her. I felt as though it was my duty to help her do one thing I didn't typically struggle with: making guy friends. Yeah, I was reserved when it came to physical contact, but I could easily start a conversation with a boy. It wasn't exactly rocket science.

"What? No! I'm not…No!" She squealed, her face turning pink.

"Then I won't do your dare."

"Fine," Allison sighed. "Neither of us have to do either of them."

"Well, technically we don't _have _to do any of these dares. It's just a game." I reasoned.

"Touché."

It was Allison's turn. "Alright. I dare—"

Just then Maddy walked up. Without a word, she tossed her backpack in the empty chair.

"I'm bored. All my other friends are gone today." She declared, looking past us. A look of excitement crossed her face. "You guys wanna go annoy Daryl?"

"Heck yeah!" I exclaimed. I was always ready to annoy the boy who I'd sat next to in band for three years. I just hoped he wasn't still under the impression that I use drugs.

"I'm in!" Allison chimed in.

"I think I'm gonna go to the library. I have work to do." Emma said.

"Okay, see you!" I called. Maddy led us to a nearby table. I talked to guys just fine, but there were few situations that I would be bold enough to sit with a whole table of them. Maddy sat at the end of the table, and Allison sat next to her. I sat on the other side, next to a blonde kid with headphones. Eli—also from band. After a few seconds, I heard Daryl swear at his friends, and then he sat next to me. I turned to him with a grin.

"What happened?" I teased. Daryl swiped a few strands of wavy, light brown hair out of his eyes, which were also a light almond brown.

"They tried to pour chocolate milk on my head," he whined, making me grin even wider.

"So you're hiding behind me, then?"

Daryl smiled back with a goofy expression. "Well, technically, I'm in _front_ of you, not behind you," he stated in a matter-of-fact tone.

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever you say, _Precious_."

He raised his eyebrows. "You really want to get into this?"

I shrugged, and he elbowed me. I elbowed him back.

Allison took a glance at her chocolate muffin. "Do you want this?"

I took the baked good and examined the bread. It was one of the weird whole-grain/wheat ones or whatever. Not exactly my thing.

"Nah, I'm good." I answered, sliding it towards Maddy. "Happy Birthday."

Maddy promptly threw the muffin at Daryl's head.

"Ow!" He exclaimed as it bounced off his brow, almost making him fall off of the bench. Mady grinned, and I laughed so hard I cried. Daryl picked up the muffin.

"Ohhh...chocolate chip!" He exclaimed, beginning to unwrap the muffin.

"Wait, so you're gonna eat it?" I managed.

"Hell yeah!"

This encouraged another bout of laughter as he took a bite of the muffin.

"Whoa... is this _banana bread chocolate chip?_"

I shrugged.

"This is fantastic." He said, making me roll my eyes.

"Yeah, whatever."

Lilly came up our table. She set a cloudy red bottle full of who-knows-what in front of Mohamed.

"Drink this."

"No!" The boy exclaimed. "There's a chunk of cheeseburger in it!" Lilly shrugged. Laughing, Mohamed slid the bottle down the table. I half screamed as it almost splashed on me. Daryl snickered, and I glared at him playfully, picking up the bottle.

"You have it," I said, putting it down in front of him. He rocked back with a yelp as I accidentally splashed him in the face. The entire table laughed.

"You got it in my ear!" He whined.

I snickered. "I _totally _meant to do that."

"Hey Daryl, check this out!" Cali said, holding out her phone. He hopped to the other side of the table. Upon seeing her screen, he buckled over laughing, his face turning red. I turned to Allison and raised my eyebrows in amusement.

Suddenly, some kid ran into me, and I fell off my chair, and underneath the table. Daryl barked with laughter.

I pulled myself halfway out, but was on my back at an odd angle. My foot was caught on a bar underneath the table.

"A little help here?" I asked. Daryl reached for my hand. Actually, my phone. He took it out of my palm.

"Hey!" I yelped in protest. I freed my foot and sat up. Daryl turned on the phone.

"What's your pass code?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" I retorted. He proceeded to lock the device.

"Dammit Daryl, give me my fricken phone." I said. The table gasped dramatically.

"Oooh, Marissa!" Daryl teased. "Did I actually just hear you swear?"

"Profanity?" Allison said with a grin. My cheeks turned red. Yes, I'm a teen who typically censors their words. Is that so bad?

"So I swore. So what?" I spluttered, suddenly hating all the attention. I glared at Daryl. "What are you looking at? I seem to remember you dropping an 'F' bomb every other sentence last year."

"Valid point." Eli agreed. I nudged him.

"Thanks pal." I said, making him grin in his bashful way. He'd moved to this city last year, while we were still in middle school. He didn't have a ton of friends back then, and I was one of his first.

The rest of lunch went by in a similar manner, and by the time the bell rung, my stomach hurt from laughing so hard. Spanish and Content Reading flew by, and then school was out for the weekend.

When I got on the bus, I found an empty seat and settled down to read. I texted Allison, and we ended up in an odd conversation that lasted the entire ride home. When I got off the bus, I was grinning wildly. Today had been an unusually exciting day after all. I ran all the way home, leaving my brother in the dust.

* * *

"What do you wanna do?" I asked my brother. He shrugged. It was the weekend, and for once, neither of us had homework.

"You want to play a video game?" He suggested. I agreed, and we ambled our way downstairs. I looked through our newer games. I wasn't in the mood for any of them.

"Which one?"

"How about an older game?" He suggested.

"Which system?" I asked.

He thought for a moment, and then said, "Wii. You choose the game."

I nodded again, shuffling over to our drawer of Wii games. I scanned the covers. A few titles from a certain game franchise caught my eye: _The Legend of Zelda_. I looked at the various ones we own. I had finished _Twilight Princess_ again over the summer. My eyes darted to the other game. We had each finished it separately, but neither of us had played it in a while.

"What about _Skyward Sword_?" I asked. Isaac shrugged.

"Sure." He said, passive as usual when it came to choosing a game. I started up the machine. We decided to take turns after death, success at a mission, frustration, or twenty minutes. After determining all of this, we played for a few hours. I was surprised by how much I remembered. I guess it _had_ only been a year, and I had played it fairly thoroughly.

My brother reached the boss of Skyview temple, and by then it was my turn. He begrudgingly handed me the controller. I had Link open the door and walk inside. We came to a cut scene. A tall figure stood by a door across the room, lazily swinging his sword against the stone. As Link approached, the figure froze, and his rapier disappeared. When he turned around, we saw his face, and I burst out laughing. Immediately I recognized the person, his blue earring and his black eyes outlined with purple.

"Oh my gosh, I _forgot _about him. It's that guy! It's Graham!" Before I knew what was happening, memories flooded my head, and the plot of the game unfolded in my mind. Graham—or whatever his name is—keeps trying to kidnap Zelda, but Link keeps foiling his plans.

Graham went on to tell Link his name. Apparently, it was Lord Ghirahim. But I liked Graham better. As he continued his monologue, he claimed credit for the tornado that kidnapped Zelda and all this other stuff. To be honest, I skipped like half of it.

Luckily, Link eventually draws his sword, and Graham—Ghirahim, whoever— scolds him, and then sneaks up behind him. Isaac and I both jumped as he did something more than a little disturbing. I mean, was it really necessary for the demon to grab Link's shoulders and flick out his awkwardly long tongue near the boy's face?

"Well that was super weird..." Isaac remarked.

"Yeah, I'm surprised they put that in a kids game!" I agreed. "Poor Link!"

Then, after a little more boasting, Ghirahim made his cape disappear in a flurry of diamonds, and he hit us with that knowing smirk. I laughed, and my cheeks burned with the oddness of it all.

"Give me a break." Isaac said, rolling his eyes.

"I'm _so_ going to break him," I announced. I had Link run forward as I swung his sword at the opponent. The prissy demon lord caught the blade with his fingers. Rage shot threw me. He wasn't even trying! That stupid, infuriating jerk! Sure, he was just code but…

After a tries, I remembered how to attack him. After a few hits, he licked his lips and summoned a sword. I continued to hit him.

"_DIE! DIE! DIE!_" I bellowed. It only took me a few minutes to win.

"YES! TAKE THAT, GRAHMMIE!" I shouted, making Isaac lean away.

"Sheesh. Be quiet, you lunatic," he muttered. But I took no notice of this, pumping my fist in triumph. Consequently, my thumb brushed the power button of the remote, and the screen went dark.

"No!" I screamed. Isaac smirked, and I punched him in the arm.

* * *

_BLEEP BLEEP BLEEP_

I heard the alarm, and my eyes blinked open. Monday morning. Oh, joy. My eyes seemed to close on their own accord. An hour later, my mother was shaking me awake.

"Get up! You have to leave in ten minutes!"

My eyes snapped open at her voice. I put on my glasses and looked at the clock. It was 7:00...but there was collaboration today, wasn't there? At our school, every Tuesday the teachers would have a meeting in the morning, and the students didn't have to show up. But then...it wasn't Tuesday, was it? _Wait...we don't have advisory on Mondays!_

"Holy crap! I was thinking about Tuesday!" I exclaimed. I jumped out of bed and sped to the bathroom. I took the fastest shower of my life, getting soap in my eye in the process. When I went to put in my contacts, my eyes stung terribly. After a few failed attempts to put them in, I gave up. I reached for my glasses. My hand skimmed them, and they fell off the sink, onto the floor. I picked up the frames and groaned. One of the lenses had broken in half! I swore as I set them back on the counter. By the time I had teased the contacts into my eyes, it was time to go. Miraculously, I was ready—well, ready enough—for school in fifteen minutes. I had to skip breakfast, though.

"Let's go, let's go!" My dad called, nudging me towards the door. We piled into the car and headed to school.

I reached band class right after the bell rang.

"How nice of you to join us." Mr. Coulson said dryly.

"Uh…s-sorry." I stuttered. I felt everyone's eyes boring into my face, and my cheeks flushed.

"Sit down and put your instrument together," he commanded. I froze. I knew I was forgetting _something._ I always brought my instrument home over the weekend.

"Um…I forgot my instrument." I admitted.

"Oh...Sad day. Why?"

"I uh…" I mumbled, my throat dry from being in the spotlight.

"Sit down; you're wasting 30 people's time," my band teacher said impatiently. I think I said 'okay', but I'm not sure. I lowered my head and eyes and took a seat, feeling chastised. I cold barely focus for the rest of class as I felt hot with shame. When the bell rang, I stood up as quickly as possible. My enormous backpack knocked down a stand, which in turn knocked two more over. I quickly picked them up.

As I left my locker, I had a feeling this would be a bad day. I was right. I was almost late for English because the zipper on my backpack broke. In history, I found out we'd been assigned a long assignment last week, and it was due today. Guess who forgot about it? In honors biology, we had a pop quiz, and I knew barely anything. I looked at the kid sitting next to me and raised my eyebrows. He made a face and shrugged. At least I wasn't the only one.

On the way out, I carelessly smacked my hand on the door frame. The impact split the skin on my knuckle. To make matters worse, I was assigned a boatload of geometry homework. And of course, all three of my friends were gone from lunch that day, so I sat at Maddy's table. But they mostly gossiped about people I didn't know while goofing around on social media that I didn't have. Typical. Unfortunately, I had left my phone at home as well. When I went to throw my tray away, I accidentally tripped on someone's foot, and my pasta landed on his leg. I looked up at the person's face. It was Daryl. The day just kept getting better and better.

My cheeks burned red, and I backed away before he could say anything, calling, "Sorry!" over my shoulder as I sped to back to my table, embarrassed once again.

There were tests in my next two classes as well. They went okay, I thought. But it didn't make me feel any better. They weren't exactly my hardest classes. Though in Spanish, I could not remember what apple was for the life of me. I got on the bus. I didn't feel like reading, so I looked out the window and thought about my day. How could eight hours go so terribly?

I tripped on my shoelace as I got off the bus. I probably looked like an idiot, but I didn't care anymore. Once again, I ran home.

When I stepped in the door, my mother was waiting. She gave me a sad look.

"Your goldfish died. I found it belly-up this, morning," she told me grimly. My shoulders slumped. I'd had that fish for years. I really loved it. At least I still had the cats. But all the events of the day finally caught up with me. I wanted to cry, but I stopped myself.

If there was one thing I hated most, it was crying. I don't need people to know when I'm having a rough time. That's being too vulnerable, and when you're vulnerable, that's when all hell breaks loose. People take advantage of you. People change their opinion of you. People avoid you. So I don't cry—especially not in front of people.

Keeping my composure calm, I took my phone and ear buds from my backpack. "I need some fresh air," I declared, my voice level. I walked out the door without waiting for a response.

After getting down the driveway, I let out a deep breath. "_Manzana_!" I exclaimed out loud, finally remembering the word that had eluded me. It was a little late, though. I let out a sigh. There was no use dwelling on it. In fact, there was no reason to dwell on any of this. The past was in the past. But no matter how many times I told myself that, I knew this wasn't the end. All my bad memories end up coming back to haunt me, and there was nothing I could do about it. But I needed something to take my mind off of it—at least for the time being.

I stuck my headphones into my ears and began to run as the first song played. I jogged in step with the rhythm, and soon I found something like a peace of mind. Almost. Regardless, I relished the familiar ache of my feet from the movement, and the way the brisk autumn air bathed my tongue and stung my throat. All of this succeeded in distracting me. I looked around. My neighborhood sure looked pretty with the hues of fall dotting the trees. Wisps of cloud danced through a gray-blue sky. Losing yourself was an art that I had mastered, and it was times like these that it came in handy.

That's why I almost missed the flash of light.

A bright, luminous azure ball of energy glowed in front of me. Within a second, it had transformed into a tall, round disk. I skidded to a stop, but it was to no avail. I tripped on my shoelace and fell forward into the mass. Cobalt light filled my vision, and then I felt an exploding pain in my head. Then everything went dark.

* * *

**There ya go! A cliffhanger for you guys to be thankful for on Turkey Day... See you later!**

**Just so you know, this story, at least in the parts that Marissa narrates, is supposed to be told as if it already happened and she is telling you what happened through a book after her adventure is done. That's what the bold/italics in the chapter was about. As for what she says... It's up to you to decide what she means... And if it's all true or not.**

******Special thanks to Parmamela572 for helping me out by writing a cool paragraph for me to adapt to this story (the part where it says "You always hear about death being scary," to the part that says, "A long life doesn't always mean a good life." Creds where creds are due. And also a big thanks to her and Picta Vulpes for doing so much work for this story, between beta-ing and just helping me develop this story.**

**Keep being awesome!**

**~Catwhiskers24~**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 2: Skyloft

**Hey everyone! I'm back! I felt really inspired to type another chapter today. Thanks again to everyone who followed/favorited/reviewed! I'll shut up now, and let you read the story.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own LOZ, just my OC's and plot twists.**

* * *

I woke up on something soft…grass? No, that couldn't be right; I collapsed on the sidewalk, not the grass. I sat upright with a groan and blinked open my eyes.

"Ugh, where am I?" I wondered out loud. I gasped as I took in my surroundings. I was lying on the greenest, softest patch of grass I've ever seen. To my left was a brilliant blue river. It flowed all the way off the…floating island? Sure enough, the river cascaded off the island in a column of water. I couldn't see where it ended. Fluffy white clouds surrounded me, with a large thunderhead off in the distance. The weird part though, was that the clouds were below the island, not overhead. I suddenly recognized my surroundings. I was on _Skyloft, _the floating town of the game we'd just played; Legend of Zelda, _The_ _Skyward Sword_. I looked around. Everything fit. I saw Pitpit's house, the Bazaar, the pumpkin patch, and Beedle'sflying store.

"Whoa…this is so _weird._" I breathed.

"Who are you?" An impatient, gruff voice said. I turned around. The speaker was big and bulky, with a red pompadour. If I didn't know better, I'd say I was looking at Groose. But that's impossible, right?

"Uh, hi," I said. There was only one way to know for sure. "Where am I?"

The boy scowled. "You're on Skyloft, duh!" He tilted his head. "You look weird. Where are you from?" I stood up, dusting off my pants.

"I…uh" I hesitated, not knowing what to say. "I'm not from here."

The boy rolled his eyes. "Well _obviously._ What's your name?" He certainly _acted_ like Groose.

"It's Marissa." I said. "And you are…?"

"The name is the Groosester. What—"

"Groose!" A blue-haired kid ran towards us. "Who's your friend?"

Groose's face turned red. "She is _not_ my friend, Cawlin. I just met the little freak."

"_Well_!" I protested. I looked around. More people were surrounding us. I spotted Pitpit, Karane, Stritch, a few kids, and…Zelda. She cleared her throat.

"I can handle this everyone. My father will know what to do. Go back to your duties." She looked at me and smiled.

"Hello. My name is Zelda. What's your name?"

"I'm Marissa. I have no idea how I got here. I was running, and then…" I trailed off, deciding not to mention the blue light. I'd rather not have her thinking I'm insane.

She inclined her head respectfully. "Where are you from?" She asks.

"I'm not from here." I repeat.

"Where's your loftwing?" Zelda asked. "It didn't drop you, did it?"

"I…don't have one." I said.

Groose stared at me. "What are you talking about? Everyone has a loftwing. How else would you have gotten here?"

"Maybe she should save her explanation for my father." Zelda said quickly. She motioned towards the yellow building in the distance. "Come on, I'll take you to him." With a nod, I followed her.

"Thanks." I muttered as she led me away.

"No problem. As you can tell, Groose can be a bit of a handful.

"Really?" I said, a bit sarcastically. She nodded.

"Yeah, and you know what's even harder? He's had a crush on me since we were kids. It's really quite annoying." She said.

"I'd say so." I agreed. We came to the staircase that led to the school. I followed her through the doors. Some of the students sent me curious looks as we walked by. The hall was long and narrow, with rooms on either side. Zelda led me to another staircase, and into an office.

"Hey Dad!" She said, strolling in. A tall man with white hair, and wide, owl-like eyes, turned around. He smiled at his daughter.

"Good afternoon, Zelda. Who is your new acquaintance?"

"I'm Marissa." I said, and formally extended a hand for him to shake. He stared at the appendage in confusion. I awkwardly let it drop to my side. I guess they don't do that here.

"I am Headmaster Gaepora. And where might you be from?" He asked.

I decided to tell him the truth. "I'm from this place a long ways away. It's called Minnesota, and it's not a floating island." I explain. Judging from the two Skyloftians' faces, neither of them knew who or what a Minnesota was, but they didn't interrupt. I recounted my story from when I got off the bus, to when I woke up here. After I finished, they both stared at me in stunned silence.

"Do you have any idea how this would happen?" I asked. Gaepora shook his head.

"Sorry, no, I don't. This is certainly quite the remarkable story. I should like to look into it." He turned to the bookshelves behind his desk. "I will do some research; but in the meantime, have my daughter show you around Skyloft."

"Okay. Thanks, sir!" I said. I followed Zelda out of the room. She closed the door behind her.

"Alright. The tour will start here at the academy. But first, I want to introduce you to my best friend, Link." She decided. My throat constricted with excitement. I was going to meet _Link_; my all-time favorite video game character! I could barely contain my excitement. I followed Zelda down the stairs, to a door on the left side of the room. She bangs on the door loudly.

"_Oi!_ Link! Wake up already!" She yelled. I heard a thump and a moan. Zelda put her hands on her hips. "Honestly,Link, it's the afternoon. Get up Sleepyhead, there's someone I want you to meet." We heard something inaudible from inside. Zelda scowled. "Link! I—" the girl was interrupted by loud snoring. Zelda rolled her eyes in exasperation.

"Whatever. Come on, I'll show you around."

* * *

After a few hours, the older girl had led me around town. She had introduced me to just about everyone except, ironically, the one I had most anticipated meeting. I noticed several subtle differences between here and the Skyloft in the game. Some of the colors weren't the same, and some of the people looked a bit different. Also, the stamina fruits were just fruit, not a power-up. You could eat them, but they wouldn't immediately restore your stamina. They were mainly used for medical purposes. And the heart flowers were just flowers. If you wanted to use them for healing, you had to turn them into a poultice.

Zelda led me to the academy again. "How old are you?" I asked.

"Fifteen. So are all the other students you've met, except for Pitpit and Groose. They're sixteen. Pitpit is in the next class, and Groose is in ours. He failed 5th grade." She answered with a grin. "You?"

"I'm fourteen," I answered. She blinked at me.

"Really? But you're so tall…"She said in surprise.

"I don't know…" I said. Another thing I'd noticed about the people in Skyloft: They were a bit shorter than average people. I had no idea why. We reached Headmaster Gaepora'soffice, but he wasn't there. Instead, there was a note on the desk. It read:

Zelda,

I think I have made a breakthrough on Marissa's situation. Bring her to the Goddess Statue as soon as possible.

-Dad

"He's found something!" Zelda exclaimed. She bolted out the door, and I had to run to keep up with her. When we came panting to a stop at the statue, we saw her father underneath the statue.

"Dad! She called. He turned around, and smiled. "We didn't leave you waiting, did we?" She asked anxiously.

He shook his head warmly. "No, dear. I wasn't waiting long at all." He looked at me.

"Come," He commanded. "Stand underneath the goddess statue." I nervously walked forward.

"Now, in my reading, I discovered a few things. As you may know, our people travel riding on large, magnificent birds called loftwings. It is to my understanding you don't possess one." He continued after I shook my head no. "You see, when a Skyloftian is young—usually around six or seven—they meet their loftwing underneath this very statue. In the book, it says that one day the goddess will bring a child from a different dimension to our world to change its fate. While I believed that was just a legend, now I believe it is true. Not only that, but it says that the child will play a part in the destiny in several others. To do this however, this child will need the help of the legendary Sapphire Loftwing. This loftwing will be a bird unlike any other. And it will only present itself to the Defender."

"The what?" I asked.

"The child I just described. The book refers to it—you—as the Defender. The text does not explicitly say what your responsibility is, or when you will have to worry about it, but it did say this: 'The Defender will have a responsibility both in her world, and this one. Because of this, a portal shall be located somewhere in the sky to ensure she may return home at her will.' Everything in the book fits you. The blue light, the sudden appearance; there is only one way to know for sure.

"You see, only the goddess's chosen defender will be approached by the Sapphire Loftwing. Normally, if a newcomer would arrive here, I wouldn't expect a loftwing to present itself to them, but you…you just may be an exception. Now give it a try; summon your loftwing." He commanded.

"How?" I asked.

"Like this!" Zelda said, leaping forward. She put two fingers to her lips, and whistled, long and sharp. Not two seconds later, a large shadow came towards us. With a rush of wind, an enormous, pale lavender loftwing appeared before me. It landed at Zelda's side, and affectionately nuzzled her outstretched hand.

"Your turn!" She said. I swallowed, apprehension setting in. I wasn't sure what to expect. It would be amazing to have a part to play in this story, but I wasn't sure that I liked how ambiguous my job description sounded. I mean, yeah I'd be protecting something, but who? Link? Zelda? The Triforce? I pushed the thought away, grateful for once that I didn't have a choice.

I put two fingers to my lips. I was glad I had recently taught myself to whistle with my fingers. When I don't know how to do something simple like this, tying a tie, or French braiding, I often teach myself how to do it. If I don't, it often bothers me, or comes back to haunt me.

The seconds ticked by. Nothing happened. My shoulders sagged with bitter disappointment.

"Perhaps I was wr—" Gaepora was interrupted by the sound of giant wings beating the air. I looked up, and gasped. A brilliant blue bird landed beside me. It was quite a bit taller than Zelda's loftwing, though no less lean. Its feathers appeared to shift between breathtaking shades of sapphire, cerulean, and azure. Its stomach was covered in soft crème-colored feathers that were a gentle magenta at the tips. The large primary feathers its wings were pure white, with bright turquoise ends. What was possibly its most stunning feature were its shocking violet eyes. They were like two discs of vivid amethyst.

I tentatively reached towards the creature. It allowed me to touch its head. I smiled. This was so _freaking_ cool.

"She's beautiful." Zelda said in a voice hushed with awe. "What're you going to name her?"

"Amethyst." I said without hesitation. Zelda nodded.

"That's a nice name. Greetings, Amethyst." Gaepora said. The bird squawked in response. Gaepora approached the bird. He examined the bird's feathers. "Intriguing…" He muttered. "These feathers are quite aerodynamic. I'd wager it's one of the fastest birds to have ever lived. And judging by her strong wings, I'd guess she is quite strong as well. I'd think she wouldn't struggle to carry two or three average sized people."

"Cool…Link'll be so jealous," said Zelda. "Crimson has competition."

"What do we do now?" I ask.

"You ride her of course." Zelda said matter-of-factly.

"Oh," I said. "Wait, what?" The older girl grabbed my wrist.

"Come on!" She exclaimed. She yanked me to the edge of the island.

"I don't think—" I was interrupted as Zelda shoved me off the island. She seemed to like doing that. I screamed, but then remembered to whistle. At my call, Amethyst swooped underneath me. I landed on the bird's back, and then we soared upwards. I was suddenly very grateful that I wasn't afraid of heights. In fact, I _love _heights.

"Exciting, huh?" She asks.

"Never do that again." I say, though I am smiling. I've always wanted to fly. I mean, not like on a plane, but really _fly_. And this was about as close as I could probably get. And it was amazing; like a dream come true. Now that I thought of it, my entire day here had been a dream come true.

Zelda showed me how to fly my loftwing. She taught me to do all the basic maneuvers as well as some more complex ones. By the end, I was pretty comfortable with riding my loftwing, and she was fairly impressed.

"Wow! You learn fast!" She exclaimed.

"Thanks!" I said. We landed by the goddess statue. Zelda's father was waiting patiently.

"That was impressive." He commented. "I was thinking, and I realized that you are likely going to want to search for your portal day and night, correct?" I nodded yes. "Very well. I don't usually do this, but as long as you enroll in some night flying classes, you have my permission to fly your loftwing at night. Judging by the structure of her eye, I have a feeling she is more than capable of seeing well enough at night. I will have a headlight sent to your room as soon as possible." He said.

"Okay. Thank you, sir." I say.

"Very well. You may take residence in the academy as long as you are here. Of course, I expect you to attend class with the other students. I know that you are younger, but it shouldn't be too hard for you."

"Thank you! I will!" I said. This sounded like it would be fun!

Gaepora chuckled in amusement. "Very well. I shall notify the staff." He said, and then walked out of the pavilion.

"Come on!" I turned to Zelda as she spoke. "There's an empty room by mine. We should get you settled in." She said, and sped ahead. I wondered why she was so excited, but the answer was obvious. My school has hundreds of students, while this one only had a couple dozen. Everyone knew everyone, so a new student must be a big deal. I smiled; at least they were friendly.

️ ️ ️

* * *

It took barely any time at all to move into my room. Mostly because I only had my phone, so there wasn't much to do. I was a bit surprised that there was a room here. I didn't remember one from the game, but I realized there were plenty of other subtle differences. While the two worlds were almost parallel, they still weren't quite mirror images of one another.

However, by the time I had my room cleaned and ready, with new sheets on the bed, it was dark. The hall monitors herded everyone into their rooms for the night. While my room was stuffy and in great need of a makeover, it was good enough, and I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.

* * *

**There! And done! Remember to fav/follow/review. Until next time, my amazing readers!**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 3: The Blue Pool

**Hey...I don't have much to say...this chapter had to be done. Remember to fav/follow/review. You guys are da best! I love having my inbox filled with favs/follows etc. thx everyone!**

**Disclaimer: as much as I'd like to, I don't own LoZ. I guess I'm stuck with my OC's and Plot changes. Oh well...**

* * *

I woke up in my room with a yawn. It had been a week since I first came here, and yet, there was no sign of the portal. My family must be worried sick. Luckily, there hadn't been classes for the past few days because of some annual festival. I'd gotten to know many of the kids very well, except one: Link. I was just so busy exploring the sky; I hadn't been at the academy when he was awake. The boy slept more than me which really says something. Anyway, when talking to the other students, I had often tried to keep the topic off of me or my past. So far, I'd only told Zelda and her father about where I'm really from. As for everyone else, I had told them I was from a faraway island, and I had come here to become a knight of Skyloft.

Most days were simple: I get up, I eat breakfast in the academy kitchen, and I leave. Plain and simple. The rest of the day, I spent searching for the portal. Today was no different. I ran as fast as I could to the nearest dock and jumped off. Amethyst caught me a mere second after I whistled. I flew upwards. So far, I'd searched much of the northern and eastern skies. I decided to search the south today.

I flew for several hours until something caught my eye. It was a small island with a small blue pool of water. Something about it just felt…strange. I landed on the land next to the pool, and caught my breath. The water glowed with luminous cobalt light. I tilted my head. If anywhere, my portal was bound to be here. I approached the side. I jumped into the pool with a splash. The water around me glowed and gleamed brighter and brighter, until my vision was filled with the harsh light. The next thing I know, I have collapsed onto something hard. I blinked open my eyes. Houses, yards, and streets filled the world for as long as the eye could see. I was home!

I stood up, and then looked behind me. A large, vertical disk of azure light gleamed. I instinctively backed up a few feet. The light disappeared. Cautiously, I stepped towards it slowly. The portal reappeared. I beamed; I had done it! I had found the portal that could help me toggle between the two worlds. I bolted down the sidewalk, back to my home. When I reached my driveway, the door burst open. My family burst out.

"Where have you been?" My dad asked.

"It's a long story, but I can explain, I promise."

"Well you can start by telling us why you've been gone for almost three hours" My mother said.

"Three hours?" I said. How could it only have been three hours? I was gone for a week!

"And what are you wearing?" My brother asked. I looked down at my knight clothes. They had provided me with a pair in the fashion of this year. They were blue, and looked similar to Link's except I didn't have a hat.

"Let's just go in, and I'll explain everything.

* * *

After I finished my story, my family stared at me in shock.

"Did you hit your head?" My mom asks.

"No! I mean yes, but I promise I wasn't hallucinating. That all happened. I can prove it. See! Look at my clothes. Headmaster Gaepora gave them to me. And this…" I showed them a loftwing feather that had been clinging to my pants.

"This is from my loftwing. See!" The feather was larger than any normal songbird's, and too vividly colored for any raptor.

My father examined it. "Are you sure this is real?" He asked.

"Yes!" I said. "Everything is real!"

My parents talked in hushed voices for several seconds. Then my father said, "We want to believe you, but this is all just so… it's something that would happen in fantasy, not real life."

I grit my teeth. I didn't know how I could get them to believe me. I mean, I didn't blame them, it was just all so farfetched. I wouldn't believe me either. Then, I got an idea.

"C'mon, I want to show you the portal." I said. I ran out of the house without waiting for a response.

I heard footsteps and them telling me to wait, but I kept running. I came to the portal. It wasn't there. I stepped forward, and it appeared.

"See!" I said. My parents exchanged confused looks.

"Marissa…there's nothing there." My mom says.

"What? But it's right there! I exclaimed.

"I don't see anything." My dad says.

"Wait!" I stepped into the portal. I gasped in a mouthful of water, and my head broke the surface. I coughed violently. I waited several minutes, before returning home.

"See!" I said again. "I was gone for almost ten minutes!"

My parents looked at me in confusion again. "No," my dad said. "You were standing there for about ten seconds."

I had one last idea. I ran back in the portal. This time, when I got out, I took pictures of the world and water with my phone. I even took a selfie with my loftwing. I grinned widely, and then returned to my dimension.

"Look," I said, holding out my phone. "I just took these. You see them, right?" My family looked at them. To my relief, they each let out gasps and hushed exclamations of wonder. This time, when I told them about my new world, they listened avidly. When I got to the part about me being the Defender, I was interrupted by a string of questions.

"Why you?"

"What do you have to protect?"

"Have you me Link yet?"

I backed up. "Look, guys, I've told you guys everything I know. And no, I haven't met Link yet. I want to go back there." I said. "This is a once in a lifetime opportunity, and I want in." I said

"But you can't just throw away your education!" Protested my mother.

"Yes." Said my father. "Besides, this sounds dangerous. I've seen you play that game. There are monsters, lava, quicksand, and I don't know what else. I don't want my daughter getting killed." He said.

"You don't understand!" I said. "I might not even be working on the surface. For all I know, I may be helping from Skyloft. Besides, Link would keep me safe." I said.

This may have made matters for me worse. My dad quickly said, "I don't want you hanging out with some reckless boy, are you kidding? This is a very bad idea."

I felt frustrated. "Don't you guys see how important this is to me? I finally have a chance to do something with my life. I don't want to spend my best years preparing for the rest of my life when I can live it now. I want to live a life full of action and adventure and loyalty. This opportunity is one just about anyone would give anything to have. And I intend to make the most of it. Please, please help me. "

My parents exchanged looks. Then my mother said, "Well, I guess you have to make this decision on your own. Perhaps you are too old for us to stand in your way. If some divine force thinks my daughter can do this, then I suppose you can. But tell me this: After this is all over, how do you intend to proceed? I don't want you permanently moving there. And if you spend much time there, you'll get behind on your education. I thought you wanted to graduate with the rest of your class?"

I hesitated, but then the answer came to me. "I'll do both. You said I was almost gone for three hours? And then ten seconds? If you do the math, it seems like a minute there is a second here. And a minute is about an hour. So…so I have plenty of time to do both." I decided.

"I…suppose it could work. My father said. "Now, what we need to do now is decide what you need."

* * *

After gathering what I needed, and saying a few quick goodbyes, I was off. I ran to the portal, and jumped through. This time, I waited until my head broke the surface to breathe. When I emerged, I looked around. Everything was as quiet as when I'd left. From this, I was able to conclude that time moved faster wherever I was. This revelation had proven me right. I had two worlds to live in, but I had the time of two worlds to do it. I boarded Amethyst, and took off.

* * *

**So...uh...yeah. Next chapter will have more action. Until next time, readers!**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 4: First Day

**Hey everyone! Here's a new chapter for you this fine Frida. TGIF, huh? Anyway, thanks to all you guys for fav/followin/reviewing, u da best**!

**Disclaimer: No, sadly I do not own LoZ.**

* * *

Classes began shortly after I found my portal. The first morning, I was a nervous wreck. The school in this world was different than the one in the game. There were more classrooms, and more students. Granted it was just an extra five or so, but I was still worried. What if they didn't like me? What if I was ignored? All these thoughts were swirling in my mind as I got dressed. I decided the only way people would get to know me was if I changed my ways. I was typically a soft-spoken girl who was good at melting into the background. I usually only started conversations with good friends, and I often had trouble working up the courage to introduce myself.

And then there was the opposite end of the spectrum. What if I was swamped with attention, being the new student? I might hate that more than being invisible. I sighed. I didn't know what to expect. I was still deep in thought when someone knocked on the door.

"Hey Marissa? It's Zelda. Are you ready?" She called.

"Uh, yeah," I opened the door, and walked out. She smiled.

"Are you ready for your first day?" She asks. I shrugged.

"Yeah, I guess so." I answered.

"What do you have first hour?" She asks.

"Math," I answered.

"Oh. I have Loftwing Studies." Zelda says. "But Karane has Math." She waved to the girl, who was just coming out of her room.

"Karane! Want to show the new student where Math is?" She asked. Karane shrugged.

"Sure, why not." She beckoned to me. "Hey kid, come on. Math is this way." I nodded, and followed her. We reached the classroom, and walked in. The professor, who I didn't recognize from the game, looked up.

"Ahh, I presume you are the new student?" He asked. I nodded. The professor looked around. "Why don't you take a seat by young master Pitpit back there?"

"Okay," I agreed. Karane took a seat by Orielle.

I sat down next to Pipit at a two-person table in the back. "Hi, I'm Marissa." I said, trying to be bold. Pitpit gave me a boyish smile.

"Pitpit." He said.

The professor began to speak, reminding everyone about upcoming exams and classroom protocol. Then he announced we would be playing a game to start class. The class groaned.

"Man, I hate this game." Pitpit groaned.

"Why, what is it?" I asked. Pipit got out a piece of paper.

"The professor—" He was interrupted by the teacher.

"Now, I will give you a problem, and as always, if anyone can solve it by the end of the hour, they will be receiving extra credit." He said. I sat up in my chair. That sounded good.

"Don't get your hopes up, new girl. No one ever gets his question. It's always some weird guess-and-check word problem." Pitpit muttered.

The professor unfolded a crème sheet of parchment. He began to read.

"Here is the problem: 'One number is three times larger than a second number. A third number is 2 larger than the second number. All together, they make 422'," He read.

"See?" Pitpit said with a groan. "I hate this so much." He began to write down numbers, and then sighed as they didn't work.

"Yeah, it's pretty tough." I said. Instantly, an equation formed in my mind. We had been doing this since middle school. I wrote it on the paper. x+(3x)+(x+2)=422. After simplifying the numbers down, I had my answer.

"I've got it!" I announced. The entire class turned to look at me in shock. The professor stared at me, open mouthed.

"Quite the efficient guesser, aren't you? Very well, read me your answer." He prompted.

I picked up my paper. "The first number is 252. The second is 84, and the third is 86." I reported. Judging by the professor's face, I was right.

"That's remarkable! That's the fastest anyone has solved one of these puzzles!" He looked at me from the front of the room. "Would you mind telling us your secret?" He asked.

I swallowed and began picking at the corner of the desk as I felt everyone's eyes on me.

"Um…I just used variables. It's no secret." I said.

The professor appeared to be even more confused. "Variables? I'm afraid I don't understand. Would you mind demonstrating?" He asked.

I swallowed, and then nodded. "S-sure." I floated to the front of the classroom. I picked up a piece of chalk, and then, with trembling fingers, duplicated the equation. The class watched in utter silence, and my neck burned as if it were on fire.

"Why are there letters in math?" A disgusted Groose blurted out.

"It's an equation using algebra. The letters are variables. You treat them as the mystery number, and sorta work around it." I explained. "You combine the variables to make 5x. Then you subtract two from 522. After that you—"

"How come you can move numbers to the other side?" The bepompadoured boy asked.

"I-I don't know, you just do." I say. Then I continued. "S-so," my tongue felt dry and limp and heavy as lead. I am not exactly an eloquent speaker. "N-next you divide 420 by the 5. This gets 84, which is also the second number. To get the first number, y-you plug 84 in for x. This makes 252 for the first number, and 86 for the second. And when you add them all together, it makes 422." I say, demonstrating. The rest of the students watched with a furrowed brow. I was probably like that at first, too.

"This is quite interesting; would you mind telling us exactly how you figured this out?" He asked.

"I didn't. We learned to do this at my old school." I said. The professor blinked.

"This other school must have a unique teaching program." He stated. You have no idea. I thought.

Out loud, I said, "Yeah, well it's far away. I guess it'd make since if it'd they're different."

For the rest of class, the professor asked me to demonstrate other aspects of our algebra. I went over all kinds of concepts, from variables, to exponents, to slope. By the end, I could tell everyone was getting confused rather than learning anything. But they could thank me for one thing: My talk took the whole hour, so we had no homework from Marissa the Algebra Teacher.

Afterwards, I took my stuff, and exited. Karane fell into step beside me.

"You could've told me you were some sort of math genius." She complained. "Nothing in that class makes any sense to me."

I chuckled. "Yeah, well I'm no genius. I just like algebra, that's all. It's really helpful."

"Humph." She said. Soon Zelda was walking beside us as well. We began talking about random topics. Zelda told us Link fell asleep during Loftwing studies, and she had to take notes for him.

"He would've gotten away with it too, if he hadn't started snoring. He drooled all over his notebook." She was telling us.

I laughed, and Karane snorted in amusement. Then she looked around. "Hey, where is Link? He usually walks with us to Potion Brewing." She asked. Karane, Zelda, Pitpit, Link, and I all had the class next hour.

"I don't know. He was right behind me…" Zelda said. We continued to talk as we headed to the class.

"Yo! Zelda!" Groose yelled. He ran by, yelling something obscene in the blonde's direction. I chuckled as her cheeks turned a bright red. Groose's arm caught on the edge of my textbook, and I dropped everything I was holding.

"Jerk!" Karane called after him. I shrugged, and bent to pick up my books. But…they weren't there. I stared at the ground in confusion. Then, I felt someone tap my shoulder. I straightened up, and turned around to see someone holding my textbook. But that wasn't what caught my attention, and made me release a breath of air. No, that would be his dazzling, cerulean eyes, and shy smile. His eyes seemed to smile as well. I immediately knew who I was looking at. I always imagined what Link looked like in person. I wasn't disappointed. My heart seemed to beat faster.

"Um…hey…" I said. Link's eyes darted to the books, and he opened his mouth. "Oh, sorry!" I said, and took the load. Link nodded, and went ahead quickly.

"That was weird." Zelda commented.

"What was that?" Karane asked. I didn't have an answer. Immediately, the same smile lit up her face that appeared on Allison's face every time she saw me near a boy. "You don't have a thing for Link, do you?" She exclaimed.

"No! I just mean, I had just been imagining what he looked like. I haven't met him yet." I said quickly. She didn't look convinced. How was I supposed to explain that I just met the video game character I liked most? The character I've seen since I was a kid playing Wind Waker. It was like seeing an old friend.

I walked quickly, hoping to distract them from the conversation. I reached potions class in a hurry. Professor Owlan looked at me. He was a taller resident of Skyloft, and had long white hair. He reminded me of an elf.

"I was notified there would be a new student." He glanced at a seating chart. "I have you next to Mr. Link, if that is okay with you." He stated. I glanced at the tables. Link and Zelda were sitting at a table near the back. The chair to his right was open. I sat down, and turned to face him. Immediately, I turned away as I felt my cheeks burn. I didn't want to say anything stupid. For all I know, we could be destined to go on his journey together; I couldn't have him thinking I'm an idiot. I tried to talk, but my throat was dry and he didn't notice. I desperately wanted to make a good first impression.

However, it was not to be, for the professor started class. We took notes all hour, and the only thing I learned about Link was that he did indeed drool in his sleep. I considered waking him up, but decided against it.

By the end of class, my notebook was jam-packed with information about the plants in this world. I stood up as the bell—yes, and old fashioned bell. Classy.—rang to signify the end of class. The next few hours went by uneventful, and Link was in none of my other classes.

I walked to the lunchroom, which was the same place we ate breakfast. After I got my food, I looked around. There were two tables. Pitpit, Groose, and his cronies sat at one table, and Zelda and company sat at another. It wasn't a hard decision. I sat next to Karane; across from Zelda and Link.

"Hi!" I said to the older kids. They smiled and looked at me.

"Hello." Said Zelda, and Karane greeted me as well. Link nodded at me with a smile.

"So we only have two hours after this, then." I commented.

Karane nodded. "Yup" She said.

"Lunch is way too late." My head whipped around at a boy's voice. Link smiled uncertainly.

"You talk!" I exclaimed. Link shrugged in embarrassment.

Zelda tilted her head. "Why wouldn't he?" She asked. I shrugged. I guess after playing a game where the only sound a person makes is a series of grunts of effort, I guess I wasn't expecting he would talk. His voice was not too deep, but deep enough.

"I guess he just seemed shy." I said lamely.

"He is. He doesn't talk much, but we love him anyway." Zelda said with a grin, and threw an arm around Link's shoulders. The swordsman's cheeks turned a bright red. I grinned, and began to eat my food. Pitpit moved next to Karane, and the two bantered for a while, much to the amusement of the rest of us. We eventually started to talk about normal high school subjects: Teachers, classes, homework, rumors, and a number of other things.

At the end of lunch, I was grinning ear-to-ear. That was, until I realized I never introduced myself to Link. I'm so stupid. He wasn't in the rest of my classes either. One thing I could be grateful for, though, was we had no homework. When the bell rang to end the day, I was approached by Zelda, KArane, Link, and Pipit.

"C'mon," Karane said.

"Where are we going?" I ask.

"We're gonna show you what us kids do to amuse ourselves after school." Pitpit said with a grin.

"Oh," I said. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!"

* * *

**Well, there it is! Make sure to leave a revie, and I'll see you next time on A Different Path!**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 5: Prophecies After School

**So...I don't have a lot to say... anyway, thanks to everyone! you guys make this story amazing to write! Love you guys! I promise more action will happen in a chapter or two when Ghirahim comes into the scene. But for now, here ya go.**

**Disclaimer: do I own LOZ? No. Do I wish I did? Yes. Am I gonna cry about it? Maybe.**

* * *

I followed my new friends out of school. We had no homework today

"Where are we going?" I asked.

Karane glanced at me. "The Bazaar." She said. We all walked there. The Bazaar was a large market with a multicolored tent over it. Shops line the inside of it. I didn't have much use for many of the stores as I had no equipment. I did, however have a bug net that I had purchased from Beedle's Air Shop. It turns out throwing a pebble at the bell works just as well as a slingshot. Who knew? The academy had granted me a small budget of rupees since I was new here. In return, I cleaned the school on the weekends.

I looked around, unsure what to do. The group made its way over to some tables at the other end of the room. We sat down and ordered tea. I ordered a water since I never really have liked tea. We chattered for a while, though it was mainly Karane and Pitpit who did the talking. Soon it got dark, and they had to leave. Zelda and I looked around. Then she said, "I dare you to go get a fortune from Sparrot."

I glanced in his direction. The man/woman/baby thing kind of freaked me out. But it only cost five rupees, so why not? It could be helpful.

"Ah, OK, whatever." I said, standing up. Link and Zelda stood up as well. We approached the station. They stood back as I sat across from Sparrot.

"Hello, dear. May I predict your future for five rupees only?" The man said.

"Ah…yeah." I reached into my pocket and handed him the small blue gem. He stared at the ball closely. Suddenly, the smoke inside glowed with an azure blue. Sparrot shot back in his chair, and when he opened his eyes, they were filled with the same spectral light. He opened his mouth until it was a gaping hole. I looked around nervously. No-one else seemed to be seeing this. I looked back at Sparrot.

"What the—" I was interrupted as the fortuneteller began to speak in an eerie voice that sounded nothing like his normal one; as if some ancient deity was using him as a vessel to convey its message.

"Arise, Protector of the sword

It is your time to join the Azure Gaurdians

To protect the innocent, and aid the poor

From the wrath of an ancient one freed

You must find your fate

You must seek out the one

The one with which your destiny is intertwined

For it is your duty to help him

Complete his mission

Like blue spirits to green

And a tear to a harp

The azure ocean is to the red sword

To guide him on his path

In one, you shall find him

In two, you shall free him

In three, a guardian takes its final stand

And all three forever leave…"

Sparrot gasped, and then closed his eyes again. The orb returned to its previous white, cloudy color. When Sparrot sat up, his face had returned to normal (Or however normal his face can be) and he looked at me as though nothing had happened.

"Huh, it appears I have lost my train of thought. I hope what I said will be of some use to you." I stared at him, aghast.

"What does it mean? I don't understand." I said.

Sparrot shook his head. "The prophet has spoken." He said. "Pay another five or leave."

I felt a flare of anger. "Be a little bit more ambiguous, will you?" I muttered, before standing up. I was tempted to demand my rupees back, but I didn't want to make a scene. I returned to my friends.

"So, what'd he say?" Zelda asked.

"Ah, it was really weird. Just a bunch of gibberish." I said. I really didn't want to talk about it.

Zelda nodded. "Yeah, it usually is." Link nodded his agreement from behind her. We headed out of the Bazaar to the street outside.

"Guys, I'm heading back to the academy. See you tomorrow." Zelda said. She turned and headed up the stairs. I snuck a glance at Link. He was staring off into the distance. I'd give anything to know what was on his mind. I realized it was just the two of us, alone. It was my chance to introduce myself.

"So…um…" I shuffled my feet. It felt strangely hot for an evening in such a temperate place. I didn't understand why it was so difficult for me to talk to him.

"It's kinda nice out here, huh? Really pretty." I immediately turned away. I decided to go with the approach that always worked to break the ice with quiet people.

I turned to walk away, and then intentionally tripped on a patch of grass, and fell dramatically.

"Oof!" I said. "And that's why they call me Clutz." Link smiled slightly. I decided that my brain was too frozen for me to come up with a good joke, so I settled on walking away from the awkward situation. I hadn't gone ten feet when I heard voices.

"Hey, Shrimp!" That was Groose's voice. I ducked behind a nearby bench. He was strutting up to Link with his cronies behind him. I watched silently. "So, I noticed you've gotten pretty good at flying that lofwing of yours. Quit being a showoff, will you? Don't think I don't know what you're playing at."

Link backed away slowly. "I don't—"

"Shut up! We both know you're trying to steal Zelda's attention. You're confusing my poor babe."

Link straightened a little bit. Anger flared in his eyes. "I'm not doing anything. And don't you dare talk about Zelda like that!"

Groose towered over the younger boy. With a jerk of his head, his friends grabbed Link by the arms. They shoved him towards the edge. He tried to cry out, but Stritch shoved his hand over the blonde's mouth.

"I sure hope you're good at flying at night, short stuff." Groose said. "Cause you're about to practice falling."

Link's eyes grew as wide as saucers. As did mine. I couldn't believe this was happening; it never did in the game. But I had already learned there were quite a few differences between the two worlds. Either way, someone had to step in before things went south. Literally. And like it or not, that person would have to be me. I stepped out of my hiding place.

"HEY!" I shouted, storming forward. "What the heck are you doing?" I demanded.

Groose jumped at my voice, and then his eyes narrowed. "Hey! It's you! You're Zelda's friend, aren't you?" At my nod, he continued. "Stay out of this, will you?"

"Hmm, no." I said, more bluntly than I expected. I was surprised by the force in my words. "Let me get this straight, you're gonna throw Link off this island because of some hopeless crush? You realize the night patrol will catch him, and then you guys will get into a heap of trouble.

"Are you stupid?" Groose said, making me flinch slightly. "The night patrol is busy preparing for tomorrows flight practice. This is one of the only nights of the year they aren't watching."

I swallowed. "You're the stupid one! How are you going to explain his disappearance?" I reasoned.

Groose frowned, and then smiled in that taunting way he was so good at. "Ohh…a feisty one," He crowed. "Hey Link! Are you really going to have your little girlfriend fight your battle for you?"

I found myself clapping sarcastically. "Wow, you managed to use the most cliché taunt in the books. Congrats." I said coldly.

Groose's face turned a bit red, and he folded his arms. "What do I need to do to make you go away?" He asked.

"Let Link go. It's as simple as that."

Groose spread out his arms. "Make me."

I lunged at him, and took out my iPhone. "You see this?"

Groose nodded, turning pale. "What is that thing?"

"A machine of death. I just press a few buttons, and a light will flash, and then POOF. You explode in a bunch of Groose bits."

Groose backed away slowly. I thought I could hear the gears shift in his mind as he debated whether to believe. Eventually, his fear took over. "You wouldn't…"

"Try me." I snapped.

Groose laughed uncertainly. "Heh, heh, I was never actually gonna hurt my good ol' buddy Link here. Nah, we were just playing. Having a bit of fun, you know?"

I twitched an eyebrow. "Let him go."

Groose and I glared at each other for a while, and then he looked away. "Guys…" He said, and then motioned to them again. They released Link, and I let out a sigh of relief. But just as soon, Link lost his balance. He tumbled off the cliff in a mass of flailing limbs.

"Idiots…" I muttered. I sped toward the cliff, feeling adrenaline pumping through my veins like fire.

Groose lunged towards me desperately. "Wait! Loftwings can't see in the—" whatever he was about to say was drowned out by the wail of the wind in my ears as I hurtled towards the cloud barrier. I looked around, but it was too damn dark for me to see anything. A sharp, pleading whistle cut through the night. I leaned in that direction, and soon my target's outline came into view. As I got closer, I saw fear written all over his face. I reached out an arm, and grabbed his shoulder. His head swung around to look at me. I whistled, long and sharp. In seconds, I heard a caw, and my loftwing was underneath us. We soared upward, toward the city. Link clung to my arm from behind me, panting. I relied on Amethyst to find the way back to the city. She didn't disappoint.

Soon, we were landing in the town square. We both jumped off the bird. I thanked her, and then she was off with a declaring squawk. I laughed slightly. Then we stood in silence for several seconds.

"Thanks." Link said after a while.

"No problem," I said, and after a moment's hesitation added. "It was fun."

Link gave me a shy smile. He was really good at those. "I…uh…"

"Yeah." I said. I wasn't sure what I just agreed with, but I tried not to think about it much.

"We should probably be getting back. I mean, we have class and all." Link said.

"Yeah."

We started back up the stairs. "You're Zelda's friend, right?" I asked casually.

"Yeah, I am. My name's Link."

"Got it." I paused, then, "Hey, thanks for helping me with my books earlier. That Groose guy seems like quite a jerk." I stated.

"You have no idea." He muttered. Neither do you… I thought.

Out loud, I said. "Thanks anyway." Link nodded.

We came to the door of the academy. When we got to the steps, I turned to Link. "Well…this was actually pretty fun. See you tomorrow." I said.

He nodded, and said. "Good night."

I turned to head back up to my room, but before I reached the steps, he called, "Wait!"

I turned around. "Yeah?"

"I…uh…never caught your name. He said sheepishly.

My cheeks turned red. "Oh…yeah…" I tried to think of something clever, and then smiled as I got an idea. "That's 'cause I never threw it at you!" I said with a wink. Immediately, I realized how dumb that sounded, so I dashed up the stairs. It sounded a lot better in my mind. Then I stopped. Stupid, I scolded myself. I ran back down the stairs partially. Luckily, he was still there.

"It's Marissa." I said, before dashing back up. I caught a glimpse of his face. It was priceless. He looked dumbfounded, with wide eyes, and a confused expression. I almost laughed.

I bolted into my room. I leaped onto my bead with a sigh. Link probably thought I was a weird, awkward little girl, but I didn't care. I realized had had just save his life. Now, if that's not a good first impression, I didn't know what was. That night, I fell asleep thinking of everything that had happened. My last thought was of the prophecy. Just as my eyes closed, I realized what it meant.

* * *

**There it is? Ohh...what could it mean? If you want to leave your guesses, that's fine with me. As always, please review/fav/follow.**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 6: A Year in Crazytown

**Hey, my loyal readers, and those new to this story. I was busy this week, but I managed to get this done. Wait till you see what's in store for out little protagonist! As always, fav/follo/review. I promise in the next few chapters there will be more conflict. But for right now, here ya go.**

**Disclaimer: No. I don't own LoZ. Just...my OC's and plot twist.**

* * *

It had been a year since I first ended up in Skyloft. I'll admit, it was a challenge at first, balancing school in this world and my home dimension, but I managed. I was on pretty goodterms with most students. I usually hung out with Zelda, Karane, and Link after school. Living a double life didn't mess with my old life too much. I still was in tennis and pep band for my school, I still was a straight A student, and I still had my old friends. Though, a few times, I've almost called Allison 'Karane', but I've usually caught myself. My secret was still safe in both worlds. Only Zelda, Gaepora, and my family knew about the portal, and no-one in Skyloft knew about the video game that paralleled their world so closely.

Most days, I'd sleep at home, head to Skyloft, stay there until nightfall, and then come back to start my Earth day. The Knight's Academy rarely assigned much homework, so I usually had plenty of time to complete both school's work. In fact, I usually would finish both sets of homework in one world, and then would have a bundle of free-time in the other. Popular hangouts in Skyloft outside the academy were the Bazaar or the Lumpy Pumpkin. Sometimes we'd chill by the lake, and sometimes, we'd even swim.

I had learned much from the academy. I was getting pretty good with a sword, and practiced with Link every day. He didn't understand why I was so obsessed with sparring. I was tempted to tell him about his upcoming adventure, but I didn't want to mess with the plot of the story. After all, I still didn't know what my supposed duty was. That still didn't stop me from preparing for a quest. One day, I had even put on armor and we had tossed swords back and forth, and tried to catch each other's weapon mid-swing. Link thought I was crazy and paranoid, but I was preparing us for the fight with Ghirahim.

I was definitely not looking forward to that confrontation. Maybe I would wait outside the boss door. I laughed at the prospect. While Ghirahim was a level-10 psychopath, I still was curious about what it would be like to meet him in person. But I swear, if he so much as brushed against my arm, the little freak was going down. Hopefully, with two against one, the battle would be easy. Well, easier.

While I was loving my new life, I couldn't help but wonder if it was actually real. What if I woke up one day, and found out that this whole thing was just a dream? I would be devastated. Wanting to avoid that, I had made myself a promise one night, after a night spent with my new friends. While I thought it was a good idea to have friends in this world, I didn't want to get too attached to any of them. My fear was one day I would wake up, and I would find out the only time I could see any of them was on a screen. So I had sworn to myself I wouldn't get too attached to anyone in this world. I even wrote it in my notebook. This way, it would sting less if everything were just a dream.

Now I know what you're thinking: How is some random, weaponless girl going to help the Hero of Time on a quest? Here's where you're wrong; I'm not equipment less. I had found five empty bottles throughout the island and filled four with red potion, saved up a couple thousand rupees, and found a bug net. I had also bought my very own adventure pouch. And, since I had been here a year, naturally I'd celebrated my 15thbirthday. From my parents, I'd received a number of things, but in my opinion, the most useful one was a solar charger. It was expensive, but worth it when you lived in an almost medieval society that thrived above the clouds. While there wasn't much electricity, there was a fair amount of sunlight.

I had also received gifts from Zelda and her father as they considered me family. Zelda always said I was like a sister to her. She had given me a sailcloth. She said they were normally given to knights as a reward for winning the Wing Ceremony, but she made a less traditional for me. 'Seeing how you fly, you're going to need it.' She had joked. She mentioned she would've made one for Link, but she thought it would be more meaningful if he received it during the honorary ceremony.

Perhaps the most interesting gift was from Zelda's father. He had noticed that I enjoyed sparring, so he had a special sword made. The blade was silver, and the hilt a beautiful sapphire color. Placed in the hilt was a large, round, amethyst. It looked exactly like the color of my loftwing's eyes. It also came with a matching dagger, as well as scabbards for the both of them. I never left my room without them.

Anyways, back to the present. It was two days before the Wing Ceremony. I thought it was just a normal day. I went through classes as normal, and got to lunch.

"Hey!" Zelda exclaimed.

"Hi!" I said, sitting next to her. I set my salad in front of me. The cafeteria provided food for the students. There was one key difference of the diet of the Skyloftians: They were vegetarians. For the most part, there were just humans and loftwings inhabiting the floating islands. And eating a loftwing would be like eating a cat or horse or bald eagle. You just don't. Not only were loftwings companions, but they were also considered sacred symbols of the goddess. So while I was here, I was on a strict fruit and vegetable diet. I couldn't cry too hard, though. I could always go back to my room for a steak or chicken dinner.

"So," Zelda said. "Has anyone asked you yet?"

I took a sip of milk. "To what?"

"The Wing Ceremony Eve's Dance, of course." She answered.

I promptly did a legitament, photo-worthy spit-take. "What?"

"Every year, the night before the contest, they hold a dance in the courtyard underneath the Goddess Statue." She answered, staring at me.

"When you say 'dance', do you mean the kind with dresses and music, and…dancing? Like, with boys?" I asked.

"Yup!" Karane said, plopping down beside me. "That's the one. And you know what the best part is? Boys outnumber girls at this school, almost two to one."

I swallowed in dread. Social occasions like this were definitely not my cup-a-tea. "Your point?" I asked.

"Well, the guys ask the girls to go to the dance with them. And, since there are more of them than us, let's face it. Someone's going to ask you to be their date." She said smugly. Dear God. Please send help.

"Mmm-hmm and we pick out ball gowns and stuff. It's a lot of fun!" Zelda said. I began to get this overwhelming sense of dread. I was definitely not a girly-girl. In fact, I was a bit of a tom-boy until middle school. That confrontation with Ghirahim was starting to sound fantastic.

"So…when are they going to…?" I dared not say it.

"Ask us out? Today for the most part." Karane said. "In fact, Pitpit already asked me. I said yes of course."

"Has Link asked you?" I asked Zelda. Her cheeks turned a bright red.

"Oh, heavens no. We're just friends. Really good friends." She said hastily, with a defensive note to her voice.

"Oh." I said.

The rest of lunch went by with a more talking about the dance. Then the bell rang, and we left. Link, who had spent lunch in detention for sleeping in class, caught up with us.

"Hi, Sleepyhead." Zelda said with amusement. Link snorted at the nickname.

"Shut up,"He muttered.

"Heeeyyyyy!" A certain, pompous, red-head called. Groose strolled up to Zelda. "Here's the deal: You. Me. The dance. Got it?"

"I…uh…" Zelda's cheeks glowed red, and Link's face turned a similar color.

"Great, I'll meet you at your room at sundown tomorrow." Groose said, and sped off.

"What just happened?" I asked.

"I think…I just agreed to go to the dance with Groose." She said.

"I'm so sorry." I sympathized. Zelda nodded, and sped up. When I looked at Link, he had an unreadable expression. As I watched, his face darkened, and he turned away.

* * *

By the end of Potion Brewing the next day, I still hadn't been asked. Link was staring straight ahead as the professor ended his lecture. Zelda glanced at me.

"I have to go ask Professor Owlan a question." She mumbled, and walked away. I could almost feel the tension in the air.

"So…she's actually going with him?" I asked. Link nodded.

"Yeah. Zelda never goes back on her word." He stated, with a hint of bitterness in his voice.

"But she never…OK." I said, not wanting to press the subject. Link clutched his forehead.

"This is so bad. I was going to ask her to go with me. You know, as friends. I thought it would be awkward to go alone, or with a…date." He said.

"My feelings exactly." I agreed. "I'm just too reserved for this kind of thing."

"I know, right! And if we don't go, people might notice even more." He ranted.

"It's horrible!" I exclaimed. "We're a social mess!"

Link was quiet for a second. "You know…" He trailed off. "You're a girl who wants to go with a friend, and I'm a boy who wants the same thing."

"Are you…asking me to the dance?" I asked. His cheeks glowed beet-red.

"No! I mean, sort of. Only if you…you know…want to…" He sputtered. I almost laughed at our awkwardness. Neither of us knew how to do this. He sighed. "Would you…like to go to the dance with me?" He asked.

"Yes!" I exclaimed, and then cleared my throat in embarrassment. "I mean…I suppose that would work…"

Link beamed. "Great!" He looked around. "So…uh…what do we do now?"

"I…don't…know…" I said.

"Maybe go to the next class?" He suggested.

"Yeah." I said.

"Tonight, I'll pick you up—no! I mean, I'll um…meet you at your—"

"Yeah, sounds good." I interrupted.

"I was thinking at about…"

"Perfect." I said. Then we stared at each other.

"What just happened?" Link asked, echoing my own thoughts.

"I'm not sure. I, uh, have to go." I said lamely, and then bolted out of the classroom, hiding a smile. I was going to a dance with Link! I was going to a dance with Link. I was going to a dance. Reserved, taciturn Marissa, going to a dance. With Link.

I froze, and face-palmed, and wondered aloud,

"What did I just do?"

* * *

**Ah, teenage awkwardnes. Well, on that note, hope to see you back on my humble little fanfic. Bai!**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 7: My Nightmare

**Hey! I'm sorry this one is so late, but I've been busy lately. Anyway, I think I'm going to try to update every Friday, though I may have a few extra for the next few weeks. Well as always, please enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Do I own LoZ? Nope.**

* * *

"Look at this one!" Zelda exclaimed. She pulled a dress off one of the racks of the small side shop. It was in the back corner of the tent, so I'd never really noticed it.

"It's perfect! Try it on!" Karane exclaimed, taking the dress from Zelda, and shoving it in my arms.

"No! I don't see why I have to wear a dress. Why can't just wear my knight's uniform?" I protested, as they shoved me into the changing room.

"_No_!" Both girls exclaimed.

"This is the one time where you get to bring out your inner flower!" Zelda said.

"Umm..okay…" I said. "But still…"

"Go!" They said with a laugh.

"Fine." I reluctantly stomped into the dressing room. I slipped into the dress. Right away, I could tell I wouldn't like it. I emerged from the curtain, and walked over to the mirror."

"It's pink." I stated with disgust. The dress was covered in lace, and utterly gigantic.

"It's _gorgeous_!" Zelda exclaimed.

"You're so pretty!" Karane said.

"It's _pink_!" I repeated. "Isn't there anything else?"

Zelda sighed, "Fine, I guess it might be weird if we're both wearing a pink dress." The other two had already picked out their ball gowns. Zelda was going to wear one that was a similar shade of the color, and Karane was wearing a sunset-orange dress.

"C'mon, I saw something over their!" Karane said. She and Zelda dashed to some racks a few feet away. I leaned against the wall with a sigh. Dress shopping. This was my uncle's wedding all over again.

"Try this one on." Zelda suggested, coming back, with Karane tailing a few feet behind.

"Ugh." I said, taking the dress. "I really need hang out with Link more often."

But despite my comment, I tried on the dress. When I came out, both girls gasped. I looked in the mirror. It was a light, teal color. It was plain, save for a bit of sparkles around the color. It was also a lighter fabric; more like a modern dress.

"I _love_ it," Karane said.

"It really makes your eyes pop." Zelda added. She was right. My eyes were a very deep blue next to the fabric.

"You know… it's not that bad." I admitted thoughtfully.

"Great!" Karane exclaimed. "Time to find some matching shoes!"

I let my head lightly hit the mirror.

* * *

After we had paid for our outfits, we headed back to the academy. It would be getting dark soon, so we had to get ready.

I put on my dress, and put my hair into a braid going over my shoulder. Then Zelda and Karane had at my face with their make-up. They actually did a good job, though I felt like a Barbie doll with all the fuss. Even with the shoes, I was a bit taller than the older girls. They were wearing high-heels, while I was wearing more flat-type heels. They were only a half-inch tall. I was afraid I would fall. And I had the right to be. Being the klutz that I was, this was an opportune time for me to make a fool of myself.

"Now what?" I asked.

"We wait." Zelda answered. "They'll be here at sun-down."

"Who? I asked.

"The boys, of course." Karane said.

"Oh." We waited. Of course, Groose was the first to show up. He had to half-drag Zelda away, who sent a pleading look in our direction. Then it was Pitpit.

"Come on Karane!" He said. Karane started forward, but then glanced at me.

"Let's just wait with Marissa for a few minutes." She pleaded of her date. Pitpit scratched his neck, and then shrugged.

"Hey, why not? We all know how _punctual_ Link is." Pitpit stated dryly.

Another fifteen minutes went by. By now. I was pacing nervously. The sun was about to set. I sighed.

"Where is he?" I asked.

"Maybe something came up?" Karane suggested. I stopped pacing.

"Maybe." I stood in silence for a moment. Then I couldn't take it anymore. Usually I could wait for anyone or anything, but this was just so _weird_.

"That's it! I'm going to see what's going on." I said.

"Wait! Marissa!" Karane protested. "You can't just—" Whatever she was about to say was cut off as I hurried out my door. I slid down the banister side-saddle, and hit the ground running. I came to Link's door, but as I raised my fist to knock on it, the door flung open. Link jumped as he saw me.

"Oh. You're already here!" He said in surprise. "I just was having trouble finding something to wear. You…weren't waiting too long, were you?" I shrugged in response.

"So…" I said. "Do you wanna go…or...?"

"Yeah." We set out to the door. We found our way to the courtyard. As we walked, I was almost shaking with nervousness. Link was having a similar experience, with a bead of sweat rolling down his temple. It seemed abnormally warm out here for a place with such cool weather. The sun had almost set, with a few creamy oranges and reds still in the sky.

When we reached the courtyard, we looked around. The space was filled with other pairs of students, chatting idly. A group of residents from the Lumpy Pumpkin filled the night air with the sound of their music. Kina led the group with her pretty singing. I looked at Link. The teen was searching the crowd for a certain someone. His eyes fell upon Zelda and Groose, and I followed his gaze. They were talking in the back corner. Zelda was holding some beverage. As we watched, Groose whispered something into her ear, and blushing, she giggled slightly. His eyes narrowed, and I sighed, grabbing his arm. His gaze shifted to me, and I smiled slightly, feeling even more awkward.

"So...uhh…" I looked around. "Hey look, it's Karane and Pitpit!" I said. We strolled over to them. Karane looked up as we approached.

"_There_ you are! You guys just, like, disappeared." Karane exclaimed.

"Sorry." I said. Karane shrugged off the apology.

"It's fine," she replied. Her eyes darted to Pitpit. "You wanna dance?"

Pitpit straightened, and a smile crossed his lips. "Yes!" The two walked off, and were swallowed by the crowd.

"Well then," I muttered. I leaned against one of the cement walls.

Link stood near me, shifting from foot to foot. "You wouldn't want to...?"

"Maybe," I said with a shrug. "Except I can't dance."

"Oh, Link replied. "Me neither."

We stood in silence for a while. I watched the other students drift across the courtyard, to the beat of the music. I sighed. This was not going well for me. But then again, no situation like this ever does. Then we heard raised voices. A group had gathered around Groose and Zelda.

"Hey!" Groose shouted.

"You idiot!" Zelda exclaimed. "You don't have to be so…"

"Me?" All I want is to dance with my date." Groose retorted. "But all you want to do is talk to your other little friends!"

"I can't believe you!" she exclaimed, and I could tell there was more to this situation then I could tell. Zelda's eyes flashed, and she stepped towards him. With a flick of her wrist, she emptied the contents of her drink on his head. Groose's eyes stretched wide as the red beverage trickled into his eyes. Then his face contorted with rage at his embarrassment.

"You'll pay for that, you little—"

"Back off, Groose," Link said.

"Who's gonna make me?" Groose jeered.

"M-me," stuttered Link.

"And me." I added, coming next to him. I cracked my knuckles for good measure.

Groose swallowed. Then he hunched his shoulders, and turned away. "Forget it. It's not worth it." The crowd watched in silence as he stalked away, out of the courtyard.

"Yeah Link!" Pitpit called out.

"I can't believe you did that for me!" Zelda said, embracing him heartily.

Link's cheeks flushed red. "Oh...it was nothing, really."

I watched them with a smile. Then Zelda grabbed Link's arm, and pulled him off into the crowd. I'd been ditched. I sighed. Oh, well, I couldn't be too mad. Besides, if this was the plot of the game, tomorrow Zelda would be kidnapped. And the giddy smile on Link's face made up for the fact that I was now alone.

I sighed, and ambled out of the courtyard. I made my way down the stairs, to the town. I sat at the edge of the river, and looked over the glowing cerulean surface, satisfied to be alone with my own thoughts. Fireflies buzzed over my head, adding to the natural gurgling of the stream. The air out here was a perfect temperature. When I looked up, I could see the stars. They were beautiful orbs against the dark violet mass. Another thing I loved about Skyloft: it was populated, and yet it still was natural. The humans hadn't yet ruined the natural beauty. Back in American cities, you couldn't see the stars behind the bright, glaring sheet the light gave off. Here, that was no longer a problem.

I don't know how long I sat there, lost in thought, but I know I was a long time.

My thoughts were interrupted by the screech of a large bird. My head snapped to the source of the sound. There, at the mouth of the waterfall cave, stood three figures pulling a struggling red loftwing along with them. _Crimson! _Irealized in shock. It was Link's loftwing!

As I got closer to them, I heard voices.

"Be careful with that rope, Cawlin. We wouldn't want this overgrown chicken getting _away_." That was Groose's voice.

"Yes, Groose. Stritch, pull him that way." The blunette replied.

"This is so great! The little twerp can't compete without his loftwing. That leaves me to swoop in and snatch the trophy for myself. And then, _I_ will be the one to complete the ceremony with Zelda. Oh, it's going to be fantastic. I am such a _genius_." Groose exclaimed. "This'll teach the little brat not to stand between us."

"But Groose," Stritch protested. "Wasn't Zelda the one who started it in the first place? Why would she want to be in the ceremony with you?"

"_Shut_ _UP_, Stritch!" Groose snapped.

"Hey!" I called, strolling up. "What do you think you're doing?"

Groose turned to me with a scowl. "Not _you_ again." He complained.

"You realize Zelda can just have her father postpone the ceremony until they find Link's loftwing, right?" I pointed out.

"She can't do that!" Groose protested, though he sounded uncertain.

"Um...actually she can." Stritch said sheepishly,

"And then you'll get into a heap of trouble for tampering with the contest." I said, twisting the knife.

Groose and his friends huddled up, talking in hushed voices. Then he backed up. "We have just decided that maybe we shouldn't mess with Link's poor loftwing." Groose said. "It's not his fault he has a stupid rider."

His accomplices dropped their ropes, and the bird wriggled free. It nearly crushed them as it launched into the sky with an indignant cry.

"That's what I thought." I said, and turned away, heading back to the academy.

When I reached the courtyard, I heard running footsteps.

"Hey!" Link exclaimed. "Where've you been?"

"Oh..." I said. "Nowhere in particular."

"Well c'mon. There's still a few songs left until this is over. I smiled, blushing. Then something occurred to me. "Hey, where's Zelda?"

Link chuckled a little. "Oh, Pitpit accidentally tripped her, and she got dirt and grass on her dress, so they left. Zelda went with to help her clean up."

"Oh." I said.

"But I stayed here. I mean, I came here with you, right?"

"Right." I agreed.

"Well?" Link asked. "Do you want to-"

"That's it for the night." Kina interrupted from onstage. "I'm tired, and you guys should get some sleep. It's a big day tomorrow, huh?"

The crowd below muttered agreement. Then, people began to leave. Link and I exchanged a look, and then followed.

"Well, that didn't exactly go as I planned." Link stated as we walked to the academy.

"Yeah, well, when you hang out with me..." I joked.

Link smiled. "Yeah." We walked the rest of the way to the academy in silence. Although, now it was more of a companionable silence than an awkward one.

"Well, I'll be seeing you then." I said, as we came to the school's entrance.

"Yeah. I'll admit, I'm a bit nervous for tomorrow."

I grinned reassuringly. "Don't worry. You'll do fine, I promise. I would know."

"What?" Link asked. I stiffened as I realized what I'd just done.

"Nothing! Just...stay away from black tornadoes, will you?" I said quickly.

"Um...O-kay..." He said. "Uh, you too."

I smiled. We almost hugged, but we both stopped in embarrassment. We settled on a solid high-five.

I took a deep breath, and headed up to my room. I should probably get some sleep, for tomorrow, the fun really begins.

As I turned the prophecy over and over in my head, I came to a shocking realization. So far, I'd defended Link twice. And we hadn't even started the adventure. I must be Link's protector! It made perfect sense. And I loved the prospect of it; going around the surface, making sure Link isn't hurt. I was going to do that already, but now it wasn't just a goal. It was my job; my destiny. And it wasn't a half-bad one either. I fell asleep with a relieved smile on my face.

* * *

**Thanks for taking a little time to read my chapter! I love you guys. As always, please consider fav/following. Reviews and comments are always greatly appreciate, too.**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 8: The Fall

**I'm back! Here's a bonus chapter. I'm really sorry that it's so pathetically short, but on the bright side, there's another one coming soon! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own LoZ, just my OC's and alternate plot. **

* * *

The following morning started out normal enough. My excitement forced me to get up several hours than normal. Sunlight trickled in through the window. The academy was silent. Everyone else must still be asleep. I knew that I probably wouldn't be able to fall back asleep, so I decided to go for a nice, early-morning flight.

I swung my legs out of bed, and picked up my adventure pouch, because every good knight knows you never leave without it. Not that I had much in it; just my sailcloth, red potions, sword, phone charger, and my small first-aid kit.

After changing and washing up, I left the academy. I sprinted down the stairs, and leapt off the wooden platform. My loftwing caught me in an instant.

We soared high above the cloud barrier. Below us, the older students were setting up the main square for the ceremony. I let my loftwing fly were it wanted. We ended up heading South.

I sighed, and closed my eyes. Today was the day. Today, I'd see Link win the race, and then I would watch the ceremony. I wondered if Zelda would push him off the statue here, too.

Then, Link and Zelda would go for a ride, and then that black tornado would knock them off their loftwings. Zelda would be pulled into the vortex, and pulled to the surface. Then, the adventure would really begin.

A thought occurred to me: What if Zelda didn't fall to the surface? What if the whole struggle could be avoided? If I warned them more directly, instead of just dropping subtle hints, perhaps I could prevent any of this from happening. Though, on the other hand, was it really a good idea to alter fate? Perhaps I should leave well enough alone. After all, everything turned out okay, right?

But then, how many times does the average player die in the game? Who says Link would come back if he perished on his journey? I couldn't let that happen. I was his protector, after all.

I turned Amethyst around, and we headed back to Skyloft. Hopefully, I could catch him before the ceremony began.

As I turned, something caught my eye. Something black. A swirling vortex of monstrous winds bore down upon me. I tried to turn, but my bird was stunned with fear. It let out a startled squawk as we were battered by the winds. The tornado ripped me off my loftwing. I screamed as I tumbled towards the winds.

"Help!" I cried out. The wind tore another scream from my mouth, and my heart crept to my throat. The last thing I remember is being sucked into the maw of the swirling black vortex.

* * *

**Ghirahim's POV**

I strolled through Faron Woods, humming quietly. A Kikwi darted across my path, and I lazily cast a glowing red knife at it. The creature squealed, and hid under its bush, and the dagger impaled a tree instead.

I smiled, and walked forward with a spring in my step. Today was quite the fantastic day. I would have the perfect opportunity to apprehend the Spirit Maiden. Master would be quite pleased with me.

I lazily cast my senses upward. I could sense a particularly strong aura in the goddess's protected floating city. I realized with excitement that the aura's source was not on the island. She was flying about the sky in a meandering manner, oblivious and vulnerable. Who would blame me for taking advantage of this opportunity?

I summoned a black tornado with a snap of my fingers, and sent it towards the cloud barrier. After a few seconds, the swirling winds broke back through the white sheet.

My black tornado pulled the girl down to the surface. However, something caught my eye. As I watched the girl whirl around the vortex, I noticed a key difference between her and my target. In all descriptions that I had heard, the Spirit Maiden had hair as golden as the Triforce. However, from here, the girl's hair looked more of a light brown.

But I was sure she was the one. I could sense her aura from here. It was as powerful as a deity's. However, as I extended my senses, I could detect a stronger presence. One that could only be of the goddess herself. I sighed in bitter frustration. I had the wrong girl! Though, I couldn't be sure.

My surge of anger shattered my concentration, and the winds of my enchanted tornado disbanded into the mist. The girl however, continued her free fall.

_Great, I have to save the little brat. _I thought bitterly. I raised my hand, about to summon another tornado, but I stopped. The possible-Spirit-Maiden pulled out a piece of cloth, and floated to the ground, deeper in the forest than I would've liked. With a snap of my fingers, I summoned three bokoblins.

"Find her." I commanded. With a grunt, the three disappeared into the forest. Meanwhile, I sat back and waited. Soon, a smile crossed my face as I heard what I had been waiting for. A scream.

* * *

**Yay! Our second main character enters the scene! Anyway, expect a new update soon. The next one is both serious and a bit funny, so expect some new dialogue next chapter. Well, Happy Holidays! **


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 9

**Three more days left till Christmas! Here's a new chapter to put you in that holiday mood. What's better than bickering between a demon and an angry teenage girl? Anyway, just to warn you, Marissa's language might possibly get offensive when she's mad...**

**Well, you have been warned. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own LoZ.**

* * *

Marissa's POV

I stood up, crossly brushing leaf dust off my pants. While my sailcloth had prevented me from an early demise, I still scraped the hell out of my knees on the way down. I ran a hand over my ruffled ponytail, looking around. Trees towered as far as the eye could see, blocking out the harsh sunlight. The forest was strewn with leaves, **with** the occasional flower or giant mushroom. The sounds of birds and small animals scuffling around in the undergrowth surrounded me. I couldn't help but grin as I realized where I was. Faron Woods, one of my favorite locations in the game.

"Cool," I breathed, slowly turning around. A twig snapped behind me, making me jump nearly a foot in the air. I whipped around to come face-to-face with three monsters I had seen hundreds of times in this game franchise. Bokoblins. Beating them in the game was one thing, but beating them in real life was liable to be a completely different matter. I drew my sword, but I doubted I could summon the courage to fight them. Sure, they were threatening me, but I couldn't bring myself to kill them. I could barely even kill a bug without feeling guilty. The crunch they made me feel sick. Not to mention with creatures like this, even if I managed to kill them, I would see the light leave their eyes, hear their final gasp, and see the injuries I had given them as I decided my life was worth more than theirs.

The monsters seemed to have other ideas, though. I screamed as one lunged at me. As I rolled to the side, I realized I would have to fight them. I lashed out at the closest one, but it blocked my blow with ease. As I dodged the next attack, I got an idea. When I swung my sword again, I changed directions at the last second, faking the bokoblin out. My blade left a nasty blow on its upper leg. The creature screeched, and crumpled to the forest floor. I used a similar strategy on the other two. Soon, the three were writhing with pain on the ground.

Remorse dug its burning claws into my gut. With a sigh, I reached into my pouch for a bottle of red potion. Perhaps if I healed them, they'd help me in return.

I reached for the zipper. Laughter filled the forest, making me freeze. Laughter that I was all too familiar with. I felt my blood turn cold as I heard the sound. Him, why did it have to be him? Of all villains in all games, it had to be this one. I half expected to start hearing his theme in the background.

I turned around, feeling a sense of dread in my stomach. I knew who he was before my eyes met his soulless, black ones. Ghirahim. The self-proclaimed Demon Lord, ruler of the surface, yada yada yada. I stared at his white, emo-style hair, covering his right eye. Everything fit. The molesting laugh, the pale skin, the purple eye-shadow…stuff. Yup, it was definitely him. And boy, everything about him was just wrong. He was wearing his typical outfit: His skin-tight white jumpsuit with diamond cutouts all the way up his legs, and two on his chest and stomach. They showed his tan skin. I hated to admit it, but he was more muscular than he looked in the game. As always, he wore his vermillion cape with two yellow diamonds connected by a silver chain. He wore his two long, snow-white gloves that almost reach his elbow. On his right arm, near his shoulder, was rigid ring of gold. And how could I forget his signature blue diamond earring? Or the golden sash around his waist, with a large red diamond just right of the center? He held his black rapier firmly in his hand. And the tip was pointed straight at me.

"Oh…" He sighed. "I was wrong after all. What a shame. Your name doesn't happen to be…Zelda, does it?" He asked. I admit, I wasn't sure what I expected his voice to sound like, but hearing it, I could imagine no better one for him.

"W-What..?" I stuttered. I took a deep breath. "Why would I tell you?" I asked, more confident this time. I casually stepped away from his blade.

"Because it is polite to tell someone your name if they ask." He said matter-of-factly, moving his sword back in front of me with the same cool, calm demeanor.

"You haven't exactly told me yours." I retorted.

"Oh you're right! How positively uncivil of me! I am the Demon Lord who presides over this land you know as the surface. You may call me Ghirahim. In truth, I would very much prefer to be indulged with my full title, Lord Ghirahim, but I'm not fussy. Now that I have introduced myself, you must do the same. It is only fair." He slowly moved closer as he spoke, smirking the entire time.

"Fine." I conceded. "My name is…" I hesitated. Giving him my real name would be stupid. No, I needed a new one. An alias if you will.

"What, is it hard to remember?" Ghirahim asked smugly.

"It's…" I spat out the first name that popped into my mind. "Hermione. Hermione Granger." Ghirahim tilted his head.

"What kind of a ridiculous name is Hermiongranger?" He asked.

"It's my ridiculous name!" I snapped.

Ghirahim chuckled, and then pressed his sword point to my throat. "Do you think I was born yesterday? Because I can assure you, I am no fool. Now tell me your real name."

I considered what to say carefully. I thought about my name, and it's meaning. Of the sea. Of the sea…

"Ocean. My name's Ocean." I answered.

Ghirahim raised an eyebrow (or a brow rather, he had no eyebrows….weird), but he seemed slightly more convinced by this one. I realized it didn't really matter. I mean, he forgets Link's name by the second temple, so why would mine be different?

"Well," I said, starting down the path. "This sure has been a slice, but I should be going." Ghirahim warped in front of me, holding his blade inches from my throat. I swallowed.

"Whoa, watch that sword, Ghiraher." I said, a bit defensive in my fear. His eyes narrowed. I swallowed. I hadn't meant to say that, but it had kinda just slipped out. I had to be careful about this.

"If you wish to live, you should refrain from insulting me. Your life is in enough peril as it is." He said, a menacing note underlying his cool tone. I was almost shaking with nervousness, but I tried not to let it show. I was sure that would make things worse. He wanted me to cry and beg for mercy, but I would not give him that satisfaction. No, I had to be confident.

"Puh-lease. My Grandma's cat scares me more than you do." I lied. The demon looked confused at the word 'cat', but it was gone in an instant.

"That tongue will get you into trouble, Sky-Child. You should bite it before I tear it from your mouth." He hissed. Then he paused, and a considerate look passed over his face. "Though, I take that back. If I take out your tongue, your screams of anguish won't be quite as…satisfying."

I struggled not to let my fear show as I said, "You are all kinds of creepy, there, Graham." His eye twitched.

"For the last time, my name is Ghirahim. Geer-ah-him. It's not terribly hard to pronounce."

"Uh-huh…" I said, with mock skepticism. "Are you sure it's not Ghiraher? Or maybe Grahamie?" At this, Ghirahim's eyes blazed with rage.

"I assure you, I am indeed male. I choose not to dress like you Hylians because you truly look…pathetic." He spat. I fought back a smile. I would enjoy this if I weren't so dang terrified.

"Seriously, though. That outfit would be considered a crime where I come from. Ever heard of public nudity? And your hair, really what are you, Lady Gaga's twisted cousin? And I can tell you the only people who wear that much make-up are desperate females, and cross-dressers. And by the look of it, you sure are one of those." I would normally never say anything so cruel, but I couldn't help it. I was just so scared, and frankly, I was pissed.

Ghirahim advanced towards me, and I felt myself shake with fear. But with my censor off, words flew out of my mouth. "Seriously, even the way you walk is feminine." I said sharply. "And what do you want with me? 'Cause I'm pretty sure it's illegal." The demon continued to glare at me. "So if you would just move aside and let me get on with my life…" I walked past the 'noble', just for him to grab my arm.

"Being that you are not the Spirit Maiden, you are of no use to me. Yet, you have wasted too much of my time to go unpunished." He said, and I shivered at the prospects of what that could mean. He continued, "Not to mention your childish insults have irritated me beyond comfort. Do you know how that makes me feel inside?"

"Let me guess: Furious! Outraged! Sick with anger!" I said, dramatically throwing out my arms. Ghirahim glared at me, and then warped out of sight.

"Surprisingly, yes. Anyway, this unfortunate turn of events has left me with a strong appetite for bloodshed." I heard him say, somewhere near my ear. He grabbed my shoulders, and I shivered. He lightly clutched my upper arms.

"Seriously? Personal space much?" I said, though my voice came out as more of a squeak. Ghirahim moved his face next to mine, and I shivered as his curtain of white hair brushed my jaw.

"Still…it hardly seems fair, being of my position, to take all of my anger out on you. Which is why I promise up front not to murder you…No, I'll just beat you within an inch of your life." He exclaimed, and flicked his tongue out near my ear. I struggled against his grasp.

"Seriously, keep your freakishly long tongue to yourself!" I beg, truly angry now. His hold remained firm, and I couldn't break free.

"Don't you like it? I saw you admiring my face for quite a while. Did you enjoy your view?" And then, he did something even worse than he ever did in the game. He licked. My face.

"What the hell! You perverted transvestite!" I shouted. I whipped around, and slapped him on the cheek. His head jerked to the side, and I caught him with a punch to the throat, and then kicked him hard between the legs.

He keeled over with a high pitched moan, proving he was indeed a dude. I turned and ran as fast as I could. I ducked behind a tree, breathing hard.

"What is that guy's problem?" I mutter. Of all people I had to run into in this world, it had to be Ghirahim. A cold blade touched my neck, making me gasp.

"Despite your attempt to neuter me, you will not be getting away so easily." He hissed in my ear. I jumped back, and drew my sword. He laughed in that over-confident, condescending way he was so good at. "Did you really just draw your sword? Foolish girl. Now I have no choice but to make you bleed."

I gritted my teeth, shaking my head. "You are so wrong, on so many levels." I said, shaking my head. Ghirahim smirks and a shadow darkens his face perfectly. I shake off my nervousness, and stand up a bit straighter. Even though I only reached his shoulder, I didn't let myself be intimidated. "Fine. If you are so eager for bloodshed, then come at me bro!"

* * *

**Ahh, I couldn't resist. Anyway, you know the drill. Please Fav/follow/review if you can spare the time. Thanks! Catwhiskers24 out.**


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 10: Swords Clash on the Surface

**Oh look, another update. I have to confess, the past few chapters were supposed to be all one chapter, but I wanted to give you a cliffhanger. So...HaHaHa...Anyway, here's the other half. I warn you, there is violence, so this one is definitely teen. Anyway, I'll shut up now. Oh, and 19 reviews? I love you guys! I only expected one or two. Thank you to all of you who fav/followed as well!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own LoZ.**

* * *

Ghirahim's POV

"Fine. If you are so eager for bloodshed, then come at me bro!" The girl challenged, pointing her sword at my chest. I licked my lips. This would be fun; I hadn't spilt anyone's blood in a while.

"Let us fight!" I exclaimed. I let out a deep chuckle, with an anticipating smile. I rolled my shoulders, and my cape swirled away in a flurry of black, red, and yellow diamonds. I would keep it on, but it does tend to get in my way. Besides, it would be a shame to get blood on it. The stuff always tends to leave quite the rusty crimson stain, which would clash with the bright vermillion of the cloth. This was my favorite cloak, after all. I smirked at the girl, and she swallowed, but didn't back down. Instead, she narrowed her blue eyes, which bore into me like two frosty chips of ice. I'll admit, I was slightly impressed.

The girl thrust her sword at me, but the attack was so telegraphed that I could've blocked it in a deep sleep. I caught the sword between my middle and pointer fingers.

"Now Sky Child, if you keep telegraphing your attacks like the novice you are, you'll never land a blow!" I scolded her, wrenching the weapon from her grip. I examined the sword. It looked quite new, with barely a scratch on it, and the blade had not yet become blunted. It was still quite sharp. Not that the condition of the blade had any consequence—she would never manage to strike me. In fact, it proved just how little experience she had in sword fighting. Well, at least with this particular weapon.

"This is quite the sword you have here. Too bad you're not talented enough to use it to its full potential. Sadly, I have no need for it. My swords are much finer than this hunk of metal." I spat, tossing the weapon at here. Her eyes widened, but to my surprise, her fingers closed around the hilt midair. It was almost as if she…expected me to do this.

I didn't have long to dwell on this thought, for she lunged at me again. This time, the girl swung her sword to my right side. I lifted my hand to block the attack again, but at the last second, the girl shifted direction. The blade cut to the left, leaving a nasty gash on my chest. Ruby lifeblood blossomed out of the wound and ripped clothing, sending searing pain through my side. I snarled. The little imbecile dared damage my perfect skin?

The strike left me off balance, giving her a chance to strike me a few more times. It was all I could do to avoid wincing in pain. This child was putting up more of a fight than I had originally expected. No matter, I would just have to change my tactics.

I smirked, and swiped my tongue over my lips again. With a snap, I summoned my long black rapier. Her eyes grew to the size of saucers, and she backed up slowly. I hunched my back, lowered my head, and dashed towards her with my sword clutched tightly in my grip. She jumped to the side, tumbling into the grass. I towered above her as she lay terrified on the ground. She really was small. I almost felt guilty. But, no, I didn't.

As I swung my sword at the girl, she rolled out from underneath the blade. She picked up a small, rotting branch, and used it to block my next blow. She stood up, breathing hard. I swung my sword once again. She gasped, and raised her log. My sword lodged itself in the bark. I growled, struggling to yank it free. The girl made a face, pulling on the log. She twisted the branch, and my sword ripped free, sending me stumbling a few feet. She took the opportunity to bash the wood into my stomach. The impact knocked the breath out of me, and left me vulnerable.

The girl swung her sword, and caught me on the right leg, just above the knee. I clenched me teeth at the stinging wound. I shook off the pain, and, with a roar of fury, I swung my sword at her. The blow struck her on the shoulder. She gasped in pain, and dropped the branch to clutch her fresh cut. I beamed with pleasure, and licked the blood off my sword. I had to clean it, did I not?

She looked at me in disgust, and then shivered. I smirked—there was nothing better than the mortified look on the face of a victim. However, my actions seemed to anger her further. Her eyes blazed with fury, and she darted forward. Her sword was a blur as it stabbed me in the side, just right of my belly. She didn't stab the sword in deep, but it still hurt terribly. I stared at the girl in shock. She didn't seem capable of such an aggressive strike. Most of her blows seemed unsure; as if she was wary of actually hurting me. A horrified look crossed her face as she realized what she had just done. She quickly pulled out her sword as her face turned pale.

I pressed a hand onto the wound, and was surprised by how fast my fingers were coated with rosy blood. Fear flashed through me briefly. I hadn't met an enemy like her for some time. I quickly dismissed the thought. She had just had some easy blows. My fighting was sloppy, and gave her plenty of windows of opportunity. I was just going easy on her. A starry-eyed resident of Skyloft was no match for my true skill. I teleported several yards back. With a snap, I summoned a dozen red, glowing knives. They hung in the air, waiting for my signal. I flicked my hand towards the pesky child, and they obediently soared at her. The girl reacted quickly, swinging her sword in an ark, and sending the enchanted daggers back at me. I managed to dodge most of them, but one caught me underneath the eye. My hand darted to my face, and upon pulling back, I saw blood.

"Enough," I commanded, wiping a few beads of blood from my face. Continuing to fight was pointless. I was getting nowhere. It was like every time I attacked, she knew exactly what I was about to do, and how to counter it. I painted a forced smile on my face. "You have proven yourself to be a more formidable foe than I had originally expected. But your skills are still lacking. The only reason you still live is that sword. Still, I am impressed you could go a round with me without being mortally wounded, so I have decided not to kill you. Yet."

Her eyes widened in shock. "So…you're letting me go?" She asked incredulously.

I laughed at the daft guess. "Nonsense, foolish Sky Child. Your meager skills may be of use to me yet. That is why I have decided to make you my new servant."

* * *

** What? Another cliffhanger? Well um...gotta go bye!  
**


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 11: The Ice-Queen

**Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. Sadly, my Christmas-themed chapter can't be released quite yet. It comes later in the story. This chapter is normal, though it's another comedy/serious one. Hope you like it!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own LoZ; just my OC's and plot twists. **

* * *

"_What?_" I gasped in terror. I tried to run past him, but he grabbed my wrist.

"Now, now, my lowly servant. You mustn't be running off!" He scolded. "Unfortunately, our little _duel_ has sapped much of my strength, so I can't warp us to my manor. We will have to walk most of the way, at least until my power comes back."

Ghirahim snapped his fingers, and the three bokoblins surrounded me. I considered my options. The bokoblins were still injured, so I could probably take at least one out. But the battle with Ghirahim had left me exhausted as well, so I didn't think that I could take on the other two, along with the Demon Lord himself. No, I would just have to play along until I had a chance to escape.

We set out at a fairly slow pace. At first, I didn't realize why we weren't going faster, but then I realized that the fight must have worn out the noble more than he let on. Ghirahim walked with a slight limp—probably from the large gash I gave him on his right knee. As he stumbled along, he clutched the wound on his side with a hand red with his own blood. I hadn't meant to do that. I just got a bit scared, and then suddenly I found myself stabbing my enemy. It's not my fault, though, right? I mean, he attacked me first. But as I stared at his wound, my adrenaline-fueled blood-lust began to fade, and was replaced by bitter remorse. I tried to ignore the feeling. If I was going to survive this, I had to look out for myself and myself only. As soon as I showed weakness, Ghirahim would take advantage of me, and it would be all over. I would have to act like I didn't give a crap that I'd hurt him. As long as he thought I was a tough, cold-blooded ice-queen, then I should be okay. For now, at least.

Ghirahim's slow limping didn't make much difference, though, because the bokoblins couldn't keep up very well anyway. We carried on at this pace for a while, but we weren't making very much progress. One of the bokoblins let out a screech. I whipped around to see it trip over a knobby root sticking out of the ground. I offered it a hand up, feeling guilty that I had put the creature in its weakened state. It was only doing its job, after all. The bokoblin glared at me, and tried to get up on its own. It failed miserably, collapsing as soon as it put weight on its left ankle.

"Maybe we should stop…" I ventured.

"No." He said bluntly, without turning.

"But this bokoblin is injured." I protested.

Ghirahim glanced at the injured monster briefly. "He's fine. You two, carry him." He commanded. The two remaining monsters obeyed immediately, grunting with effort as they lifted their fallen comrade.

The monsters started forward, and I followed. I noticed that all three of my remaining captors were staggering slightly and breathing hard. Since the bokoblins were busy carrying their friend, they did nothing when I ran ahead. I sped up so I was paced with Ghirahim. I considered running away, but I doubted I could get far. While they were worse off than I was, my wounded shoulder burned with every step I took.

I fell into step with Ghirahim. He did nothing to acknowledge my presence. I looked at him closely for the first time. With a jolt, I realized he didn't look much like the Ghirahim in Skyward sword. He looked a bit more like the one from Hyrule Warriors. His eyes were sharper, and less purple. And like I mentioned earlier, he was more muscular than the one in Skyward Sword. I mean, he was still a scrawny beanpole, but his shoulders were a bit broader, and you could see the curve of slight—_slight—_muscle bulging out of his limbs. Most peculiar of all, he looked almost...younger?

However, out of all these things, only one detail caught my eye: His injuries. Injuries _I _had given him. Cuts criss-crossed his chest and side from my sword. One on his face stretched from his cheek to just millimeters from his eye. The deep cut on his knee was still slowly oozing blood, along with the stab wound in his side. I wasn't sure if I was imagining it, but it seemed like his face was a bit paler than usual. It barely registered that I was the one who did this. How could I?

Another wave of guilt swept over me. _Stop it Marissa!_ I scolded myself. _He's the enemy. You're _supposed _to fight him. _But the more I thought about it, the more disturbed I was with my actions. Yes, he attacked me first, I was aware of that, but I had the advantage. Unlike him, I'd fought this battle as Link dozens of times in the video game. I even practiced it with the Thunder Dragon so I could do it extra fast. While fighting him as Marissa was a bit different, I still knew virtually all of Ghirahim's moves, while he didn't know what _I_ had up my sleeve. Granted, it wasn't much, but it was just enough to give me the upper-hand. Also, in the game, there was no blood. The enemy would flinch, but you'd never see the actual injuries that you had inflicted. But now, looking at my enemy, I could see the injuries I'd carelessly given him. The wounds I'd given him were real. And what disturbed me most: I never hesitated to hit him. And that scared me.

Ghirahim glanced at me, just briefly. I realized I had been staring at him too long. Again. I quickly shifted my gaze to the ground, face hot with embarrassment. I sure hoped I wasn't blushing. We walked in an icy silence for a while. I could feel the tension in the air weigh heavily on my shoulders.

"We should really stop." I said eventually.

"No." He said again, still refusing to look at me.

"Yes." I argued. I typically didn't argue with people who I don't know—especially when they're older than me—but considering I had no respect whatsoever for him, I was very keen to say what I wanted. If I was going to survive, I would have to stand up for myself. I couldn't be the soft-spoken, shy little girl I always was around adults—or whatever he is.

"No."

"_Yes." _I said, in the most firm, confident voice I could muster.

Ghirahim glared at me. "I am fine. As are you. Now just shut up and walk. Your whining is giving me a headache.

"_I'm not WHINING." _I whined.

The demon clenched his fists, but said nothing. I bit my lip; I had to come up with a new tactic. One that wouldn't hurt his pride. _His _pride.

"Oh, the sun!" I exclaimed, dramatically throwing a hand over my eyes. "I'm so overheated!"

"That does tend to happen in my presence." Ghirahim remarked.

I tried not to glare daggers at him like I wanted to, and then fell to the ground again as helplessly as possible.

"Oh, the heat!" I said again.

"Get up." Ghirahim said irritably.

"My feet hurt. I'm tired! I don't want to walk anymore." I wailed.

"Would you like me to carry you?" Ghirahim asked. I stared at him in horror. Then I jumped to my feet.

"Oh look! I suddenly feel better!" I said quickly. Ghirahim rolled his eyes, and we continued to walk through the forest. By now, the breathing of my companions was ragged and labored, and I was tripping over my own feet. Not that it wasn't usual for me, but still. I was tired. We all were. Some ice-queen I was.

I stared at Ghirahim, who still was clutching his side. As I watched, a drop of blood rolled down his wrist, and fell to the ground, turning into a ruby pearl in the dying sunlight. I stared at the drop as I passed it. This had to stop _now._ I had to think of something that Ghirahim wouldn't shoot down immediately. With a smile, I thought of the perfect idea. An idea that could not _possibly _fail. I summoned all the childish frustration and annoyance I had stored inside me for the past fifteen years, and said the one thing that would get him to stop.

"Are we _there _yet?" I complained.

"Clearly not." Ghirahim snapped.

"But I'm so tired! I don't wanna walk anymore."

"That sounds like a personal problem," Ghirahim answered. "And would you quit walking like that?"

"Nope."

Ghirahim cursed under his breath.

"That sounded like profanity. Sir, I am only a child." I said.

Ghirahim slapped a hand over his eyes. Then he took a deep breath.

"Sky Child?"

"Yes, Ghiri?"

"Shut up."

"_Well."_ I huffed, but obeyed. Twenty seconds later: "Are we _there _yet?"

"No. I just answered that question. Do be quiet; your childish behavior annoys me _greatly."_

_ "_Are we there yet?" I asked again.

"Child, I should remind you that I only spared you because I thought your skills may be slightly useful. However, should I decide that your nuisance exceeds your value, you shall be on the ground, lying in a puddle of your own lifeblood. So, therefore I implore you to be silent for the remainder of this walk." He said with a growl.

"Oh." I stated. "Are we there yet?"

"We get there when WE GET THERE!" He exploded.

I sniffed extra loud. "You yelled at me." I whimpered, and covered my face, fake-sobbing loudly. "I feel _worthless!"_

_ "_There is not a small enough unit in this world..." he began dryly, "...that could measure how _little _I care!"

"Well you know what?" I asked.

"Like I said, I really don't care."

"Well, what I'd like to know is—"

"Don't say it." He begged.

"Are we _there_ yet?" I whined, trying not to laugh.

"I hate you."

"Are we there yet?"

He didn't answer, just sighed.

"Are we there yet? Are we there yet are we there yet are we—"

"STOP!" Ghirahim exclaimed, putting his hands over his ears. "Just, stop."

"Does that mean...?"

"Yes," He said with a huff of exasperation. "We can stop. But please, I beg you, stop asking that question!"

"M'kay." I said obnoxiously. "I'll start the fire."

* * *

**Hmm...camping with Ghirahim? Sounds...fun. Anyway, as always, Fav/follow/review. It's greatly appreciated And to all of you who have already done this, thank you so much. It's a great Christmas present to know people are actually reading this. Well, Merry Christmas to all, and to all, Good...afternoon?**


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 12: Enemies At a Campfire

**Another one? Indeed. Here's what happens when Marissa and Ghirahim go camping...Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own LOZ. **

* * *

"What are you doing?" Ghirahim asked as I moved about the clearing.

"Gathering wood for a fire." I answered, before laying my pile of sticks on the ground near two logs.

"And...why would we have a fire?" He asked, staring at me as if I were crazy.

"Oh, I don't know, to cook food, warm us, provide light, protect us from monsters...DUH!" I said. What was his problem? Who doesn't have a campfire when sleeping in the middle of the woods? The sun was already rapidly setting, bathing the clearing in an orangish-red color.

Ghirahim rolled his eyes as if _I were_ the dumb one. "We don't need protection. I have control over the monsters in these woods." He said, like it was obvious.

"_All_ of them?" I asked, raising my eyebrows. He cast his eyes downward.

"Perhaps a fire is a good idea." He muttered.

I almost smiled. "Something tells me you don't spend a whole lot of time outside." I stated, taking a set of flint-and-steel from my adventure pouch. The Academy requires all knights to carry them around at all times. Now I know why.

"I don't." Ghirahim replied. "I prefer to sleep in my large, safe manor."

I rolled my eyes. Talk about a prissy little princess. "Whatever, man. Just...move those logs to opposite sides of the fire."

"That is _not _the way a servant talks to her master." He snapped.

"Fine." I said, trying hard not to let him anger me. "Would you be so _kind _as to move those logs so we may sit down?" I ask with a mocking curtsy. He didn't notice.

"Thank you. I will." The demon said. I turned back to the fire, intending to light it. I clicked together the flint-and-steel, but the sparks bounced harmlessly off the wood, caught on the grass, burned for a few seconds, and finally died. I scowled, and tried again. The same thing happened. I guess this wood isn't very flammable. Not to mention the absence of birch bark to help it start. I muttered in frustration, and tried again. My eyes stretched wide as the logs exploded in red flames.

"Whoa..." I said in awe.

"Your welcome." Ghirahim said from behind me. I blinked in confusion. Then, looking closely, I noticed that the flames weren't just the normal amber of natural fire. They were blood-red, and seemed to be composed of many small diamonds. Even the smoke curling up to the sky seemed to give off the shape.

"How did you do that?" I asked. He shrugged.

"Magic, of course. It's a very simple spell—not nearly as taxing as warping." He replied simply.

"Right..." I said slowly sitting on one of the logs. The bokoblins quickly occupied the opposite log, sending me wary glances the whole time. Ghirahim stared at the log. "So are you going to sit, or just stand there?" I asked, not particularly a fan of either option.

"You expect me to sit _there? _On that rotting piece of wood?" He asked.

"Well...not exactly _expecting..."_

"No." He said.

I shrugged. "Okay. I won't cry about it."

Ghirahim scowled, but he gingerly sat on the log next to me. Great.

We all sat in awkward silence for a moment. Soon, the sunlight had all but faded. The woods looked spooky at night. Especially when you're camping with enemies. Enemies who like sneaking up behind you. Enemies with no sense of personal space.

Finally, I couldn't take it anymore. I stood up. Ghirahim stared at me.

I'm gonna go find us something to eat." I announced. He narrowed his eyes.

"Relax, Prettyboy, I'm not going to run away." I said truthfully. Even if I weren't already exhausted, it would be impossible to outrun someone who could warp. Ghirahim may be too tired to warp us both to the manor, but he didn't say anything about teleporting himself. I'd never get away, and my attempted escape would surely enrage him.

"Be back in five minutes." He commanded. "Or else."

"Of course." I agreed, before heading off into the woods.

I strolled through the trees at a quick walk. As soon as I got a ways away, I slowed down, grateful for a chance to clear my mind. I wondered if I should be concerned that the thing nagging me most was what my parents would think if I were gone to long. Strange, but true. I guess the thing was, I didn't think Ghirahim would actually kill me. He seemed to be enjoy having a captive. Maybe there was another reason, I don't know. But what I did know is he wouldn't hesitate to hurt me. Maybe harsh words, or a cut...or something worse, but not death. Though...I couldn't be sure.

I let all of what was happening sink in. I was captured by a perverted, sadistic _demon._ And now I had to spend the night out here with him. How exciting. Please kill me now.

I continued walking until I came to an open space in the woods. Mushrooms grew every few feet. They were huge. Some were even taller than me, while others barely reached my knee. All glowed neon in the starlight. My favorite was the blue one, which glowed a shining aquamarine. It reminded me of my portal. I wondered if I'd ever see it again. I sure hoped so. I hoped I'd see Link, Zelda, and my family again. _Stop it._ I told myself again. _We just established that you aren't going to die._ Right.

I came to a small stream. I bent down, and examined the surface. I didn't see any vegetation, so I scooped some of it into my hands. I held the water to my lips, sipping it as it trickled through my fingers. It tasted _amazing!_ It didn't have the bitter taste that tap water seemed to have. It was fresh and cold, and almost had a hint of lemon in it.

I took another drink and then wiped my face. Deciding I may not have a better opportunity, I removed an empty bottle from my bag, and filled it with the stream water.

I turned around, and took in my surroundings. Honestly, I had no idea where I was. The forest in this world was much larger than the one in the game. I decided to continue wandering until I came to our camp.

Eventually, I spotted something hanging off of one of the trees. It was a yellow fruit, covered in browns spots. We learned about them at the academy. I could never remember what they were called, but I knew they were edible.

I approached the tree. Kids, do not try this at home. With a deep breath, I ran at it, and rolled into the trunk with a smack. The fruit fell into the grass next to me. I rubbed my forehead, which now throbbed aggressively. I lifted up the fruit, which was surprisingly light. With a shrug, I headed back in the general direction in which I had come. Soon, I saw smoke, and I quickened my pace. I arrived in the clearing. There had been no need to rush, however, because they were all sound asleep. I sat back down on the log. I unsheathed my dagger, and cut the fruit into slices, similar to the way you would cut a watermelon or cantaloupe. I pocked a few seeds that were at the center. They were supposed to be excellent ammo for a slingshot. Too bad I didn't have one.

I looked to Ghirahim. His head lolled forward limply. He was out like a light. Now would be a good time to take my leave. I stood up, but in the process, I shifted the log. My sleeping captor jerked awake.

"What th—" He glanced at me. "So you're back. You didn't try to run away, now did you?" He asked.

"Uh...no..." I said. Then I said what would distract any hungry man. "I've got food." I said.

He looked it over. "Banana pear, eh?" He asked.

"Uh...sure..." I said. "I don't know what it's called." I automatically offered a slice to him.

Ghirahim turned the fruit over in his fingers. "How do I know I know you haven't poisoned this?" He inquired.

"Why would I do that?" I asked.

"Because I captured you." He reasoned. "If I were dead, you could easily escape."

"I'm not some sadistic murderer like you." I said sharply, glancing at the trio of wounded bokoblins.

"I see." He said, following my gaze. "So you spared them. I had wondered why you hadn't killed them yet. But having mercy on a couple of lowly monsters doesn't mean I can trust you."

"Oh for the love of..!" I took a piece of fruit from the pile, and took an enormous bite.

"Sfee?" I said, swallowing. "Nummy fruit." I wasn't necessarily concerned about my captor getting a balanced nutrition, but he was questioning my integrity. My character. I had to prove that I was trustworthy.

Ghirahim raised his brow again. "How do I know that you didn't just poison mine? Or poisoned all but the one you took?"

"Are you _trying_ to make me mad?" I groaned. "How would I have known which one you were going to choose? And how would I remember which one I _hadn't _poisoned? Besides, the poison could've rubbed off onto the safe ones." I pointed out. I swear, this guy could really get on my nerves. It was all I could do not to smack him upside the face again.

"Fair point." The noble sighed. "I suppose I could give it a try." He took a bite of the fruit.

"Hmm...It seems normal." He finished the slice. "Alright. I believe you." He swiped his long tongue over his lips. I looked away. That tongue...

"What?" He asked.

"Nothing." I said quickly.

"Does my tongue..._bother you?"_ He asked.

"No..." I said. "It just freaks me out a little, that's all."

"Really." Ghirahim asked. Then, he flicked out his tongue near my face again. I jumped, falling off the log. Ghirahim found this _immensely _funny. I rolled my eyes, fighting back a laugh myself.

"Wow, who _couldn't _have seen that coming?" I grumbled.

"Apparently you." He answered, and I fought back a smile.

"I was just...playing along." I said.

"Hmm. Right," He said. I shook my head. This was so weird. He laughed again, but then winced slightly, clutching his side. My smile melted at this reminder of the events of today. My side stung as I looked at the redness surrounding his stab wound. If I could take back anything I'd done today, I think it would be stabbing Ghirahim. Then I wouldn't have this lingering guilt that made me sick. I opened my mouth to apologize, but I thought better of it. I looked away, reminding myself of the pain in my shoulder.

"Enjoying your victory?" He drawled. I refused to respond. "Well don't just sit there, Sky Child, answer me!" He said.

"No. I'm not." I responded.

"Well, why not?" He asked.

"I don't like hurting people" I said. "Or...whatever you are."

Ghirahim ignored the insult. "You're supposed to fight back. Otherwise its not as..._fun." _Ghirahim said, with a hint of amusement behind his voice.

"Fun." I scoffed. Ghirahim shifted so he was facing me more. He winced, and cursed under his breath. With a sigh, I reached into my pouch, and took out a bottle of red potion. "Here." I said, offering it to him. "Drink this."

He twitched an eyebrow. "Red potion, I presume?"

"Yeah. For your injuries." I said.

He looked at it once, then looked away.

"I don't need it." He said.

"Yes you do." I insisted. "You look awful."

"I'll be fine." He said firmly.

"Can you just drink the stupid potion so you stop bleeding all over?" I said.

"How do I know you haven't poisoned _this?" _He asked, with a sly smile. I clenched my fists. He was _playing_ with me. He just wanted to make me mad. But I wouldn't let him.

"That sounds pretty counterproductive." I pointed out. "As soon as you got poisoned, the potion would just heal you."

"Not necessarily" Ghirahim argued. "Red potion only heals simple wounds like cuts, bruises, and shallow stab wounds. Poison is an entirely different matter."

I took a deep breath, and then turned so he could see the gash in my shoulder. "Look. This is the wound you gave me." I said, giving him a pointed look. I took a sip of the potion. Immediately, the pain numbed to a dull ache, and the skin closed until the gash was just a small scab.

"There," I said. "I'm fine."

"Fine. It's not poisoned. But I don't take charity from my enemies. I will be fine."

"Fine! Suffer. See if I care." I said, rolling my eyes. He was such a stubborn idiot. I glanced at the bokoblins.

"Hey." I called. "You guys want some red potion?" They started awake at my voice. I gave each a bottle of the liquid. They stared at the glass container, and then looked at their leader.

"What?" I said.

"Permission...Master..." One croaked in its screechy voice.

"You need permission from Ghirahim?" I asked. They nodded. I looked at the demon, who was picking at some fruit in his teeth.

"What now?" He asked impatiently.

"Can they have some red potion?" I asked."

"I really couldn't care less how you servants choose to use your resources." He said.

Three pairs of eyes lit up. I pushed some fruit over to them as well.

"You know, I don't understand you." Ghirahim stated, as I sat back down on the log. "You injure us defending yourself, and now you try to heal us. I mean, if you win the battle, why turn around and try to heal your enemies?" Ghirahim asked.

"It's called being kind." I responded, and then under my breath, I added, "Not that you would have experience with that."

We sat in silence as the bokoblins finished eating. The sounds of the forest surrounded us. I could hear crickets chirping, frogs croaking, birds calling, and the quit babbling of a stream. I closed my eyes and let the sounds of the forest distract me from my current predicament.

"Why is the forest so loud at night?" Ghirahim grumbled.

"There are more creatures here than just us, you know." I pointed out.

"Well they're annoying me!" Ghirahim snapped.

"Stop being so egocentric, and just listen." I snapped. "It actually sounds nice; almost like music."

"I don't hear it." He said.

"Yeah, well." I said. "Anyway, what are we going to do now?"

Ghirahim glared at me. "This isn't some vacation, Sky Child. I am exhausted. I am going to sleep. Please, just be quiet."

Tired myself, I didn't have a smart remark. I stared at the flames, and my eyelids gradually grew heavy. Eventually, I stopped fighting them.

* * *

I woke with a start in the middle of the night. Man was I cold. I noticed that the fire had went out. I tried to stand up, but I couldn't. Something had my arm. I whipped my head around. Ghirahim had my arm. He was snuggling it to his chest like it was some teddy bear. I tried to free my arm, but his grip was like a vice. Everyone else was sound asleep, and I didn't particularly want to wake them. Especially not Ghirahim. I wiggled my arm. He was gripping it so tight it was numb. I scowled. This was a fine mess I was in. But looking at Ghirahim, I almost smiled. He looked a lot more peaceful asleep. His face was in a neutral position, which was considerably more pleasant than his typical smirk or scowl.

I sighed, and tried once more to get my left arm back. He mumbled something, and then held it tighter, pulling my arm closer to him. Now we were uncomfortably close, and I could hear his quiet breathing. I groaned and went limp. This was going to be a long night, A really, really long night.

* * *

**I know, this chapter is really long, but...just bear with me. Sometimes my chapters vary in size. Anyway, remember that favs/follows/and reviews are great. It makes my day seeing a new notification in my inbox. And thank you for the 28 current reviews! And now over 10 followers? YOu guys are amazing! Well, Catwhiskers24 out.**


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 13: Teleportation. Not fun.

**Hey everyone! Sorry, It's been a few days. I got...distracted. I was busy writing a part later in the story. Anyway, I apologize this chapter is so short, but... Please enjoy it anyway. Thanks to all of you guys!**

**Disclaimer:I do not own LOZ, just my OCs.**

* * *

**Ghirahim's POV**

I woke up the next morning to the sounds of the woods. At first, I was confused why. Then, a stabbing pain in my side reminded me of the events of the previous day. I remembered the fight, the walk, and the girl. The girl. Where was she? I remembered falling asleep next to her last night on this filthy log. But...she wasn't here. My eyes snapped open, and I looked around. I spotted the bokoblins sound asleep on the other side of the log.

"Get up you fools!" I snarled. The monsters jolted awake. "Where is the girl?" I demanded.

"Don't...know...where." The one spoke up.

Panic and rage shot through me, and I lifted the bokoblin by the front of its ragged shirt.

"You had _one _job. Watch the girl." I hissed. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't end you."

"Don't get your diamondy panties in a twist. I'm right here." I whipped around at the sound of a girl's voice. My prisoner walked up with a frustrated look. "Seriously, can't you go ten seconds without threatening to behead someone?"

I dropped the monster with a scowl. "I wasn't going to behead it. My intention was more along the lines of wringing its filthy neck." I corrected her.

"Dude. He's standing right there." She said, glancing the bokoblin. Then she shook her head. "Anyway, you don't have to be so violent. I mean, your much more..._tender_...when when you're asleep." She said with a knowing wink. I stared at her. I'll admit, I occasionally end up holding onto a pillow or such while I slept, but there was no way...I mean I couldn't of... I felt a thrill of fear. I couldn't have done anything...affectionate in my sleep, could I? To my relief, she didn't say anything more regarding it. Then, I felt a surge of anger. Why did I have to be grateful to her for what she didn't say? She was my _servant. _No master in their right mind should take this from such an inferior being.

"Show some respect, servant. I am not your friend. I am your master, Now, should you stray away again, you shall be punished. This is your first and final warning." I warned her.

"Oh. Right. The whole _servant _thing." She said. "Great..."

I sighed, stretched, and rolled my shoulders. While still weary, I had enough power to warp the two of us to my manor. I turned to the three bokoblins.

"I am no longer in need of your assistance. You are dismissed." I told the creatures. They nodded curtly, and then headed back into the woods. The servant girl watched them go. Then she looked at the ground straight ahead of her, with a sad look in her eyes. She clenched her fists. I suppose not everyone likes the idea of being a servant.

I offered her a hand.

"What?" She asked.

"Take my hand, and I shall warp us to my manor." I explained.

"I'd rather not." She sniffed.

"Why not?" I asked, beginning to feel impatient once again.

"Well...for one...your hands are covered in blood..." She said wearily. I glanced at my gloves, which were stained red. I rolled my eyes.

"And who's fault is that?" I asked. She placed her hands on her hips.

"You know, if you had just drank the God damn potion, this wouldn't be a problem." She retorted. I looked at the wound in my side. The edges were crusted in dried blood, while it glared an angry red. I swallowed. Perhaps I should've drank the potion when I had the chance. There was no use dwelling on it now. I would never admit to weakness.

As if reading my mind, the girl said, "You know, it's not that bad to need a bit of help. I mean..." She took out a bottle from her pouch. "You could at least take a little water. I mean, so that I don't feel guilty anymore." She offered, with a small, reassuring smile.

I reluctantly took the bottle. "How do I know this isn't poisoned?" I asked for the third time. Her smile melted.

"Am I going to have to taste-test everything for you?" She asked dryly.

"No...no, I suppose not." I conceded. I took the bottle, and downed the contents. Immediately, my wounds began to burn. I gasped, and clutched my side. I stared at the girl in confusion. She bit her lip.

"Okay, I lied. I might've put something in that." She said sheepishly.

I dropped the bottle to the ground, grabbed her by the collar of her shirt, and summoned my rapier. "What. _Was it?" _I demanded, fear seizing me.

"Just...a bit of red potion." She said with an innocent grin. I threw her back down.

"Ouch." She complained.

"I told you I wouldn't take charity from you." I told her, feeling a bit embarrassed at my extreme reaction.

"Actually," She said, getting up, and dusting off, "You said, and I quote 'I don't take charity from my enemies.' But you said it yourself. I'm you're servant."

Rage burned through me at her mockery, and I towered above her. "Don't think this changes anything." I hissed. She backed up a bit, and picked up the empty bottle. I looked down at the wound on my side, and noticed that it had grown noticeably smaller. The skin had scabbed over, and had returned to its natural color; at least for the most part. I sighed, and then cleared my throat.

"Brace yourself." I warned her.

"Wait, what?"

I grabbed her arm, and we vanished in a cloud of diamonds.

* * *

**Marissa's POV**

I'd never been to the demon world in the game. I had never warped before either. And I never want to do it again. It felt like I was being stretched, and then I was spinning at lightning speed, and then we appeared. I thought I was gonna be sick. And I'm the one who _loves _those kinds of rides at amusement parks.

"Ugh." I said, clutching my stomach. "Never do that to me again."

"Welcome...to the Demon Realm." Ghirahim said, throwing out his arms dramatically. I looked around. I don't know what I was expecting it to look like. Maybe I was expecting it to look like the Twilight realm, from _The Twilight Princess._ Or maybe I thought it would be really hot, or cold. But it wasn't. No, the scary thing about the demon realm wasn't its title, or the monsters inhabiting it. No...the thing that freaked me out was how much it looked like home. Fluffy white clouds danced across a broad blue sky. Emerald grass covered the grounds of the estate. The land just looked...normal. A bit more dark and cloudy, but still normal.

We walked for a bit, and then I saw it. In the distance, rising above the horizon, stood a manor. And it was big. Like really big. While it wasn't very tall—two or three stories at most—the mansion covered a large perimeter. There were several larger chunks, connected by sky-walks. One of which was above a lovely little garden. The windows of the elevated hallway were made of stained glass. As were many of the other large windows. And his manor had a lot of windows. The building was mainly black, which didn't help the growing sense of dread rising in my stomach.

"This is my manor. Isn't it just...perfect?" Ghirahim purred.

"Wait, you're the head of this...this enormous castle?" I asked.

"But of course!" He said. "Master would have no less for his most important servant."

"You mean—" I cut off abruptly. No normal Skyloftian would know about Demise, or ...the fact that Ghirahim was a sword. I better not mention that either.

"Yes, I am the lord of this manor. There are others in the land, but mine is the grandest of all." He boasted.

"Right." I said. "So...where are we exactly?"

"The Demon Realm is a secluded piece of land from the other sections of the Surface. It is located in the middle of the three territories. In fact, from my manor, you can see all three in the distance." He explained. "Except...because Demise wanted a land similar to Skyloft, where his people could live in peace, it has special enchantments. Not only is it invisible to outsiders, only those permitted to enter the land, may come into the realm. Otherwise, the intruder would just pass into the next realm. When I warped you in here with me, I was giving you permission to enter." He went on.

"Ah. How thoughtful." I said sarcastically. He gave me a look before striding towards the manor.

"Of course, I doubt you want to sit here, listening to me ramble on all day." He began.

_ Very true_. I thought.

"So instead, I've decided to give you the grand tour."

"Of what exactly?" I asked.

Ghirahim chucked, and pushed open the heavy wooden door. I gasped at what my eyes discerned from inside.

Ghirahim through out his arms dramatically. Again. "Of my manor." He answered. Then a thoughtful look passed over his face. "No..." He smirked "Of your new _home_."

* * *

**Well, there you have it. New chapter coming at you soon. Anyway, thanks to all of you who faved/followed. It's always much appreciate. As are reviews. Well, bye!**


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 14: The Manor

**So...here's another chapter for you. I guess I was extra inspired today. Anyway, please enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own LOZ, just Marissa, Malice, and my other OC's and Plot Twists. **

* * *

Marissa's POV

I followed Ghirahim into the enormous building.

We were greeted by a short, slightly portly older demon, with a yellowish tint to his skin. He dipped his head in respect to his master. "Welcome back, My Lord."

"Thank you, Leal." Ghirahim said with a curt nod. The other demon stared at me briefly, before returning his gaze to his master. Ghirahim waved him away.

"This, is the Entry Hall." Ghirahim explained.

"Whoa..." I muttered, looking around. A tall staircase directly in front of us led up to the right, where I could see a long hall. Corridors stretched around either side of us. Two grand windows towered broadly above the door. From the ceiling hung a gigantic glass chandelier. And, from the glass hung hundreds of perfectly shaped diamonds. However, what surprised me was that the walls were fairly...plain. There weren't a million vain self-portraits of Ghirahim like I'd imagined. The only one was a huge portrait of an angry looking Demise hanging beneath the main balcony that covered the entrance from the stairs to the hall. Other than that, their was just a few peaceful portraits of various parts of the kingdom, or of different aspects of nature.

"Shall we?" asked Ghirahim.

"Wait, what?" I said, snapping out of my observations.

"I'm taking you on a tour, if you recall. Now, if you could keep focused for a few minutes, we might actually get somewhere." Ghirahim said dryly.

"Oh. Right." I said.

He led the way down a corridor to the right. We came to a large living-room. Two elaborate couches were positioned in front of a fireplace. There was a chair near one of the couches, with a small table between. A decorative candle stood on the table.

We continued to the right. Ghirahim turned around to face me. "This is the Dining Room." He announced. It was a large, open room, with a gray stone floor. A large wooden table sat in the middle, with a flawless, white tablecloth, perfectly positioned so that it hung off at an equal amount on all sides. There were over a dozen chairs. I blinked. I guess there were other nobles who lived here.

Ghirahim led me to various rooms throughout the main floor of the manor. There was a study, and training hall. Of course, we didn't go into any of them. I was a servant. I was banned from many rooms in the manor, unless I was summoned there to serve.

"And that marks the end of this tour." Ghirahim said, as we headed towards another hallway.

"Okay...what..." I trailed off as I saw the hallway we were in. It was the one made entirely of stained glass. The floor was even made of the stuff. The glass was all different colors, and depicted abstract images. Every few feet was a colored diamond. The windows were so clear that you could see outside in every direction. Most stunning of all, the sun shining through the glass bathed the hall in ruby reds, sapphire blues, jade greens, and amethyst purples. I don't typically say this much, so you can believe me when I say it was truly beautiful.

I was so captivated by the sight, that I wasn't looking where I was going. I smacked right into another demon. The creature let out a yelp, and dropped its load of...oh man. Decorative plates. They shattered into hundreds of pieces on the floor.

"Sky Child!" Ghirahim said sharply.

I winced at the fury in his voice, but I didn't look at him. I gave the victim of my mindlessness a hand up.

"Sorry." I mumbled, taking a closer look at the demon. He was tall, though exceptionally skinny. His clothing was tattered, and covered in various stains. Another servant, maybe? His skin had an orange tint to it, and he had red-orange hair. He seemed about my age, if not a year or two older. He could even be considered a scruffy handsome.

I met his gaze, and blinked in shock. His eyes were a piercing orange. We stared at each other for what seemed like ages. Then his gaze flicked to his simmering leader.

"My apologies, master." He muttered, not meeting the supreme demon's eyes.

"Quiet, servant!" Ghirahim snapped. "I would advise you get out of our way, Malice. And be sure you don't let this happen again, unless you prefer to live life without your head."

The younger demon nodded hastily. "Yes. Sorry, My Lord."

He caught my eyes once more before rushing off in the other direction. I watched him leave for a moment, before facing Ghirahim.

"Um...I..." I laughed nervously.

"You really have no coordination, do you, servant?" Ghirahim asked.

"Hey! I...uh...No." I admitted.

Ghirahim shook his head. "I will give you a break this one time, but only because you are new. Don't think I will be so generous next time. That was my finest set of china." Ghirahim said darkly. He turned away before I could say anymore.

"Well that happened," I muttered as he walked away.

"Quite the impressive manor, eh?" Ghirahim asked as I caught up.

"Yeah. I'll admit. It's a lot different than I'd imagined it." I told him honestly. He glanced at me, and I realized what I'd said. "I mean, it's not like I've spent large amounts of time imagining what your house looks like or anything, but..." He raised his brow. "I'm...uh, I think I'm gonna shut up now." I said in embarrassment. He smiled a bit, before returning his gaze to the path ahead of him.

We came to an old, dusty set of stairs leading to a section of the manor that was partially underground. I followed Ghirahim down the stairs. He took a candle from a nearby rack, and led me to a large room. The room was filled with stone cells. Each cell was small—about a quarter of the size of my room at home—and was caged off by rusting metal bars. I knew exactly where I was. The dungeon.

"Welcome," Ghirahim began. "To your new room." He shoved me into the nearest cell. I fell to the stone floor with a gasp, smacking my hip and shoulder on the hard granite.

"Hey! I thought I was a servant, not a prisoner!" I protested, as he slid the metal door closed. I heard a lock click shut.

"You are. But, there are no vacant slave quarters at the moment, so this will have to do for a while." He said. "Get comfortable. I will be back to take you to the dining room. But for now...ta-ta!" He swaggered out of the room, and I heard his footsteps echo up the steps.

"See you later!" I called as if this cell weren't bothering me. _I hope you trip and impale yourself on your sword._ I thought to myself. I turned, and sat against the stone wall. This wasn't supposed to happen. None of this was. I should be off on an adventure with Link. Instead, I'm stuck in Sir Licks-a-lot's stupid manor.

I let my head rest against the rocky wall. I had a feeling I would be here for a while.

* * *

My cell wasn't _all _bad. I mean, I had a handy little candle above the door to provide a little light. And I had a nice, comfy indent in the ground where I could sleep. How hospitable. Not to mention my classy, glass-less window at the top of the wall. It provided a pleasant draft.

I had company, too. There was the rotting corpse in the cell diagonal to mine. And who could forget the friendly bokoblin skull in my cage? At least I wouldn't have annoying cellmates. That was always a plus.

Who was I kidding, there were _no pluses!_ The cell was horrible! I hated it! I had spent the past _three hours_ waiting for Ghirahim, and in the process, imagining the various ways I would get my payback.

I heard footsteps echo down the steps, and every muscle in me stiffened. I moved towards the back of the cell. The footsteps got closer and closer, until I saw...the other servant?

"What the..?" I asked, as the orange demon unlocked my door.

"Lord Ghirahim sent me to collect you for dinner." the boy explained.

"Oh. I see." I said, stepping out of the cell. So Ghirahim was too lazy to get me himself. Wow.

"It's this way, Miss." he said, leading me towards the staircase.

"Okay. Thanks." I said. I followed him up the stairs and back to the dining room. Ghirahim was sitting at the head of the table, talking loudly to several of the other nobles. When he saw us coming, he got up, and walked up to us.

"Where do I..." I asked, gesturing around.

"Right there is fine." He answered.

"What do you—" I was cut off as he snapped his fingers. Red bands chained my arms to the wall.

"What are you doing!" I protested.

"Little servant girls don't eat at the table with the nobles. Surely you know that." He said sternly. "Now be a good girl, and sit there quietly."

"But—"

"Stay." He commanded, and then turned back to the table.

"I'm not a dog!" I shouted after him.

He ignored me, and returned to his spot at the head of the table.

I managed to slide into a sitting position, and watched, simmering as he dined with his comrades. He couldn't treat me like some...some _pet, _could he?

As I watched, he laughed unnecessarily loud at someone's comment, and took an enormous swig of some beverage.

"Here." Another servant said, sliding a tray in front of me. The only thing on the tray was a bowl filled with an orange soup. The only problem: My hands were bound, and there was no spoon.

"Wait, how do I..?" The servant was gone. My gaze flicked to Ghirahim. He was staring straight at me with a cold smile. He nodded to the soup. I furrowed my brow in confusion. That's when I realized what he wanted me to do. He wanted me to eat like an animal, putting my entire face in the bowl. My stomach growled. I really was hungry. But...I'd never sink to that level.

I glared at Ghirahim angrily. He was purposely treating me like an animal just to torture me. Or amuse himself. Probably both.

I narrowed my eyes, letting out a low growl. Okay, fine. If he was going to treat me like an animal, then I was going to act like one.

* * *

Ghirahim's POV

I must admit. Often times, talking to the other demons in the manor was unbearably dull. I found my gaze shift around the room. Without intending to, I rested my eyes on the servant girl. She was staring straight at me. Her eyes, in the light of the small chandelier, looked like two dark pits. Like two pools. Two pools that, if I wasn't careful, I could easily drown in. I immediately dropped her gaze. What was wrong with me? I was being silly! She was a child! I shouldn't let her get to me.

But looking at the two swirling oceans, I felt strangely uncomfortable. I pretended to be fascinated by my glass. Though, I couldn't help but notice she was making some noise. It almost sounded like a...a _growl_.

I swallowed, and glanced at her. She narrowed her eyes as soon as they caught mine. Perhaps she wasn't just a child. When I fist met her, I sensed she was something more. I realized it may not be in my greatest interest to intentionally agitate her like this.

"And so the lands shall..." one of the demons trailed off. "Are you alright, Lord Ghirahim?"

"Fine." I muttered through clenched teeth.

"Who is that?" One of the others asked, following my gaze.

"Whoever she is, she looks rather angry."

"I would not like to deal with her right now." One of the other demons chuckled. "You may have your hands full, there, Ghir. Though I guess, you do like the feisty ones, eh?" He asked, twitching his eyebrows.

"That is _not _why I brought her here." I interrupted. "She is to be a new servant."

"Well, then. Tell me how that works out for you." The first demon said.

"This should be interesting," another chimed in.

My hands tightened around my glass, and it shattered in my hands. "Dinner is over." I announced. "Get back to your meaningless existences."

Slowly, the other nobles left the hall. I approached the girl. She glared up at me, and..._barked_ at me.

"Be quiet girl!" I said sharply. "You have humiliated me in front of my colleagues. I hope you are happy with yourself."

"Very." She said, jutting out her chin defiantly.

"Why you little..." Rage shot through me, and I drew my rapier. Her eyes grew twice their size, and she flinched.

Just then, I was distracted by the sound of shattering ceramic. I whipped around. The young orange demon, Malice, had broken yet another plate. Were all my servants going to disobey me tonight?

"Why you _little!" _I advanced towards the other demon. He stared at me in terror.

"Didn't I want you what would happen if you continued to damage my possessions?" I growled. I raised my sword.

"Stop!" The girl said. "Leave him alone."

I whirled to face her. "Stay out of this, Sky Child." I hissed.

I turned back to the young demon. But...he wasn't there. I clenched my fist in frustration. She had distracted me so that the creature could escape!

"Now you've done it, girl!" I snarled in frustration. I advanced towards her. "If I can't take out my cross frustration on him, then you will have to take his punishment."

Her face paled. "And...what type of punishment is that, exactly?" She asked, with a hint of a squeak in her voice.

"Death. It's what my master would've done to any servant who showed such insolent disrespect." I told her.

"But..." She raised her eyes to look at me. They were large, and a bright blue. I didn't realize at first how...innocent...they made her look. "You aren't your master, are you?"

"Silence." I snapped, doubt pricking at my mind. I lifted my sword, shaking off the feeling.

She lowered her head, and curled into a ball, tensing her muscles. Bracing herself, I suppose.

I adjusted my stance, and closed my eyes, ready to bring down the sword. But...I couldn't. _Stop this foolishness._ I scolded myself. _She deserves it. _I raised the sword again. But, right as I was about to swing, an image of my master flashed through my mind. The scars on my back burned, and I lowered my head.

"It's not worth it." I muttered, and lowered my blade. She slowly lowered her hands and looked at me.

I swept out of the clearing, shaking my head. Something was wrong with me. Yes, something was _very _wrong.

* * *

**Poor, poor, confused Ghirahim. He is in for one heck of a ride. Anyway, please fav/follow. Reviews are always greatly appreciated. Nothing puts a smile on my face like seeing a nice review on my story. Well, see you! More updates coming soon.**


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 15: The Storm

**So...I don't know. I've had to re-post this chapter a few times due to technical difficulties. Sorry for the inconvenience, but I have no idea how I came up with this chapter, but as soon as I thought of it, everything kind of fell into place. This chapter is definitely rated teen for a bit of swearing, and some suggestive comments. Not to mention...well...you'll just have to see.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own LoZ. Just my OC's and plot twists :)**

* * *

**Marissa's POV**

I woke up to the sound of thunder. I sat up in my cell with a groan. My side still hurt from when he'd thrown me to the cell floor. The inconsiderate jerk! And what was the deal with the whole punishment thing in the dining room? I mean, first he tries to make me eat like a dog, then he gets angry. Then he threatens to _kill _me, and then suddenly changes his mind. I mean, what was the deal with that? Why did he hesitate? That doesn't sound like something a sadistic murderer would do. Talk about bipolar.

And then there was the interruption by the other servant, Malice.

Malice.

I sat back, and thought for a moment. What was it with that other demon? I don't know what would've happened if he hadn't broken that plate when he did. Nothing good, probably. Good thing he was clumsy. Or maybe...maybe it wasn't an accident. Maybe he did it on purpose. Maybe...he was trying to help me.

No. No, I was being stupid. Why would anyone ever do that for someone they'd barely even met?

I sighed, and leaned back against the wall. My mind was just a big tangled mess of confused emotions. I didn't know what to think anymore. At this point, for all I knew, Link wasn't really the hero. Maybe Hylia is a villain. I wouldn't know. Heck, Ghirahim might not even be _evil._

Nope. He was definitely evil. There was no doubt about it. So...then why was there? A nagging voice in the back of my mind told me to give him a chance. But why?

_Maybe because he hasn't killed you_ the voice said in that head. Yeah. Right. I really ought to be grateful that someone _didn't _kill me. I mean that shouldn't even be in the question. Sure, I sort of embarrassed him in front of his colleagues, and...barked at him. But that was nothing to kill me over.

As all these thought swirled around in my mind, a torrent of rain pelted me in the back. One of the _few _problems of having an open window like that was it was a perfect entrance point for the rain. The freezing droplets were relentless, and I was soaked in less than two minutes. I shivered. Would it have killed Ghirahim to give me a blanket or something? I was _freezing._

Another clap of thunder made me jump. I turned so that I could see out the window. I watched the lightning illuminate the sky. I watched the clouds explode with neon blues, yellows, and violets. It was like a light show.

"Wow." I murmured, sitting up to get a closer look. I watched the flashes of light fill the night sky for a while, before my eyelids grew heavy once again.

* * *

I was awoken once again. This time, it was to the sound of intense wind. Howling winds, tearing at the manor, and screeching through the window. It almost sounded like a train. My ears were starting to pop at the screaming noise. I sat up, stretching out my stiff muscles.

With a sigh, I looked out the window. What met my eyes made them stretch twice as big. The lightning and thunder had begun to die down, but the clouds had turned a sour orange-green. The clouds had mixed together, forming a dip. The funnel led straight down, towards the ground.

"Oh my..." I trailed off as the wind and rain pelted my face. I ran towards the door of my cage, and tried to pull it open. Locked.

"Help!" I screamed, shaking the bars. "Tornado!"

My only response was from the storm raging outside. I moaned, and pulled at my hair. What was happening? Did anyone else know about this?

I yanked at the bars again. With trembling fingers, I laid my hand on the lock. I looked around for the key. There wasn't one in sight.

How was I supposed to get out of this death trap, then? I closed my fingers around the lock, and pulled at it. I shook it, bashed it, and did anything else I thought may break it. Nothing worked. The lock didn't even get a scratch.

_C'mon you stupid thing._ I thought angrily. _Just open, will you?_

As if responding to my will, the lock was engulfed in a blue light, before sliding open.

"How the he..." I muttered, as the door swung open. I shook my head. While that was incredibly weird, I didn't have time to dwell on it. More important matters were on my mind.

I bolted past the cages, and up the stairs, almost crashing into someone. For the second time. I blinked in surprise at the equally shocked face of Malice.

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

"I heard banging, so I came to investigate." He answered. "Quite the thunderstorm, huh?"

"It's not a thunderstorm." I corrected. "It's a tornado."

"_What?" _Malice exclaimed.

"Yeah. I can see it from my window." I said. Malice's face turned a ghostly pale. "Come on. We have to warn the rest of the manor." I said.

"O-of course." He said, then added, "Wait!" as I rushed past him.

I climbed the stairs to the main floor. Everything was quiet.

"Where's Ghirahim?" I asked. As little as I wanted to interrupt the demon's beauty sleep, I knew that he was the leader. People would more likely listen to him than me.

"It's this way." Malice said. He sped up the stairs and down the hall, with me following close behind. He pointed to a large door at the end of the hall.

"Maybe you shouldn't—" I cut him off, rushing in the direction. I flung open the door, and stepped inside. In the middle of the room, on a king-sized bed, laid the Demon Lord. He was all tucked into his covers and blankets. He looked comfortable. I wouldn't feel too bad ruining that.

"Ghirahim!" I shouted, shaking his shoulder. He woke with a start.

"What the..." he said, voice still thick with sleep. His eyes widened in surprise when he saw my face. "Sky Child! What are you doing in my room at this time of night?" He asked. Then he raised a brow. "You know, I typically don't bed with my servant girls on the first night." He said.

"What?" I said, my cheeks burning at the comment. "No! That is defiantly not why I'm here, you little..." I clenched my fists. He had to say something _like that._ It was so...so...so _Ghirahim._

"Then why are you disturbing my slumber?" he asked.

"Look!" I said, pulling back the curtain covering the window. "Don't you see?"

Ghirahim's face paled as he stared at the mass of spinning clouds. "Oh, Farore..." he muttered.

"Get up!" I said, pulling at the covers. "We need to get to shelter!"

Ghirahim placed a hand on the blanket around him, and gave me an awkward smile.

"You might not want to do that." He said.

"What? Why?" I asked impatiently. Every moment we wasted was another bit closer the tornado was to blowing us to smithereens.

"My servant, you realize...I am not wearing clothes." He said calmly.

"What? You sleep _naked?" _I demanded, immediately dropping my arms.

"Sometimes. It is warm out, and to be fair, a demon's body temperature tends to be higher than a human's." He answered.

"So you're too hot?" I asked. A wry smile twisted his face, and I realized my mistake "I mean...oh _shit_, that's not what I meant!" I stuttered in embarrassment.

"Well, yes. I do believe so. Now, if you would kindly turn around so I may get up, I would be quite pleased." He said. My thoughts caught up with me. Ghirahim was in front of me. Naked. I was just glad he had stopped me from pulling down the covers.

I felt a light sensation in my head, as my cheeks felt as if they were on fire. I stumbled back, and nearly fell. I caught myself on a shelf of some sort. I heard a crash as some decoration shattered on the floor.

"I'm gonna leave now." I said, and tripped over my own feet as I exited the room. I closed the door quickly, and closed my eyes. What next?

"What happened in there?" Malice asked.

"Oh...um...nothing." I lied. He narrowed his eyes. I could understand his disbelief. I had a feeling my cheeks were as red as a tomato right now.

I heard the door click after a few seconds, and moved so Ghirahim could step out.

"You can look now, Sky Child." He said with amusement. I hadn't realized it, but I had been staring at the floor.

I glanced at him. He was wearing a more casual form of his normal outfit. It was a little more...roomy, I guess you could say. "O-K!" I said, a little to loud. "Right. Let's go."

The three of us sped downstairs.

"The bokoblins should be safe." Ghirahim was saying. "Their barracks are partially underground, and have no windows. As for the rest of the nobles and servants...I suspect many have already taken shelter there as well. But for everyone else..."

"The dungeon." I suggested. "It's underground. Maybe if we plug all the windows, we'll be safe."

"That might actually work." Ghirahim admitted. "But how do we wake everyone?" He glanced at Malice. "You, servant. Go and check all of the rooms. Tell any remaining individual to report to the dungeon at once." He commanded.

I saw fear flash through the younger demon's eyes. I understood. There wasn't enough time for him to do that and still get to safety before the swirl of winds hit.

"That will take too long." I said. "Just yell for everyone to come."

Ghirahim gave me a weird look. "Are you demented? I can't yell that loud. I would hurt my voice!"

_Wow. That may be the saddest thing I've ever heard. _I thought. Out loud, I said, "Fine. I'll do it." I cleared my throat, and cupped my hands around my mouth. If there was anything I was good at, it was being loud.

"HEY! EVERYONE WHO DOES NOT WISH TO DIE A PAINFUL, SWIRLING DEATH, HAVE TO GET THERE ASSES DOWN TO THE DUNGEON RIGHT NOW!" I shouted.

After a moment, demons began filtering through doors and corridors. If anyone hadn't heard my message, then they must have been awoken by the commotion it caused.

Ghirahim gave me a small nod, before the three of us followed the crowd down the stairs, and back into my prison.

* * *

People sure could be loud. And restless, and annoying, and easily frightened. Demons, in that sense, were the same way. Some chose to pace. Others stood around, talking quietly. A few tried to take shelter in the cells, which were dry now that several demons had used magic to block off the windows. There were a few that sat at the edges of the room. Some covered their ears with their hands, while others stared straight ahead, deep in thought. I was in that very last group.

I sat in the corner, hugging my legs to my chest, and staring straight ahead. I stared at anything that caught my eye. An odd movement of a nervous servant, the frustrated, nervous expression of a noble, or the swirl of wind outside.

"Hey." Someone said. I turned, expecting to see Ghirahim, but I was surprised. Malice took a seat next to me.

"I...I'm...um..."

"Malice, right?" I asked. He nodded.

"Yes. Sorry. I guess I'm just...pretty awful at introducing myself." He said, his face turning a bit red. I smiled reassuringly.

"Don't worry. You're doing fine. I mean...it would've helped if you had remembered your own name, but..." I said with amusement.

"Yeah..." he said with a small chuckle. "So...you are..."

"Oh! My name. Right." I said. "Well, my name is...Ocean." I almost felt guilty pulling Malice into my lie.

"I'll try to remember that." He said, swiping a bit of his short, ginger hair out of his face.

We sat in companionable silence for a while. Then, I said the most obvious thing I could've said.

"So...crazy weather we're having, huh?" I asked. Malice laughed slightly.

"Actually, this is fairly normal for this realm. I mean...not _normal _normal, but our weather does tend to be pretty unpredictable." He answered.

"Oh..." I said. "_Great..."_

"Don't worry." Malice assured me. "It's more often just a quick shift in temperature, that's all. And for something like this, as long as no-one is hurt, there really is no damage done. Many of the residents of this estate are skilled in repairing objects and structures with magic."

"Well that's a relief." I said. I decided to change the subject. "So what's it like? Being Ghirahim's servant, I mean."

Malice's face got a bit of a dark look to it, and he frowned. "It's...well..." He looked away. "You'll find out soon enough."

"Oh." I said.

The howling noise got louder. I shifted a bit closer to my companion, and I'm fairly sure that he did the same. My arm was pressing against his arm. His skin seemed warmer than I expected. I guess demons really did have a higher body temperature. We continued to talk in low voices. We tried to keep the conversation light, often throwing in stupid jokes occasionally to keep our spirits up. Maybe if I would have kept my eyes open once while throwing back my head and laughing at something dumb Malice said, I may have noticed Ghirahim staring at us from across the room. I would've seen his black eyes glaring into mine like a pair of dark lasers.

But I didn't. For once, I only paid attention to what was right next to me. I guess, as the winds tore at our dark, dusty structure, I was just glad to have a distraction. And as the hail started to crash down, and the wind picked up, I was calm. While fear still nagged at the back of my mind, I was glad that if I was going to die, then at least I wouldn't die alone.

* * *

**Hope you liked it! Please remember to fav/follow/and review! And, here's to another year of fun and LoZ! Happy New Years! 2015!**


	17. Chapter 17: The Little Remlit

Chapter 16: The Little Remlit

**Okay...so this chapter is pretty long. I know. But** **I just thought the various scenes blended well together. We get to see another side of Malice today! So anyway, I hope you enjoy, and yay for 2015!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own LoZ, just my OC's!**

* * *

Ghirahim's POV

I managed to make it through the night. Come morning, the tornado had passed, and everyone was safe. Everything seemed normal enough.

Until I returned to my sleeping quarters.

My mouth gaped. The roof had been torn off my room, and several others. The wall between mine and the neighboring room had crumbled. A pile of rubble covered my bed. My face paled. Had it not been for the servant girl, I would be underneath that pile of rubble. Dead, no doubt.

The servant girl. Why did all my thoughts end up coming back to her? She was just so...I didn't even know. Different?

Obviously. There was no-one quite like her. No-one showed such insolent defiance as her. And I was still puzzled by her stunt with the red potion. Why trick me into drinking it? I didn't understand. I put a hand to the wound, and noticed that it had scabbed over. I didn't understand why she would try to help me. Unless...unless she really was guilty about hitting me.

Last night, between the storms, and thoughts of my strange day, I'd struggled to fall asleep. I kept seeing an image of her face. All I could think of was the girl. Why was it that whenever I talked to her, I felt slightly warmer, and my heart seemed to pound? I saw her eyes, burnt into my mind. I'd noticed they seemed to change colors. Sometimes they looked dull, while at one point, I'd noticed they were as vibrant blue as the sky.

I remembered the campfire yesterday. It had been a while since I had been outside the manor with anyone. It had been even longer since I'd spent the night outside. I could still remember what it felt like to fall asleep with her at my side. I could still feel her arm brushing against mine, ever so slightly. I could still hear her breathing, reminding me that for once, I wasn't alone.

I tried to remember her name. Ocean. Yes, that was it. Strange. Out of all names, her name had to be the one thing that evoked such fear inside of me.

I sighed, and leaned against the door. There was no reason for me to think like this, I had much more important matters to attend to.

"LEAL!" I shouted. The shorter demon appeared in a poof of yellow smoke.

"Yes, My Lord?" He asked.

"I need someone to repair this wing of the manor. Assemble a team of willing individuals immediately."

"Yes, Master." He turned, preparing to leave.

"Oh, and bring the new servant girl." I added.

"Very well. I will send her up."

* * *

"Where are we going?" asked the servant girl.

"First, you are going to change out of those _hideous_ clothes." I told her.

"Oh. Yay." She said.

I sent her to a washroom, with a set of new clothes. In a few minutes, she came out.

"I hate this." She said.

"I don't see the problem." I commented. The outfit wasn't as tight as mine. It was more modest, as I assumed that was the style she preferred. The cloth was a loose, orange silk. The sleeves were green. The pants were a light pink. I honestly didn't see what was not to like. She didn't seem like the dress type of girl, so this was the next best thing.

She glared at me. "It's _hideous. _I could care less about fashion, but seriously, don't you have anything a bit less, I don't know, _angry fruit salad?_" She asked.

"Stop complaining." I said. "I could just let you sit in your old clothes forever."

"Please do." She sniffed.

"Patience," I said, trying to keep cool myself. "The maids are washing your other outfit. As soon as they finish, you can wear it to your heart's content."

"Good." She said.

"Now, if you would just follow me, I will take you to the dinning room for breakfast."

She didn't say a word as she followed me. We passed the other servant, Malice, and they caught each-others eyes. As I watched, they exchanged a smile and a small nod.

I quickened my pace, feeling an odd burning sensation in my chest. I didn't think we could reach the dining room fast enough. When we finally reached our destination, she hesitated.

"So...uh..." She glanced around. "Where am I supposed to sit?"

"You may sit there." I said, gesturing to the seat next to me.

She raised her eyebrows, and took a seat. "What's with the sudden upgrade?" She asked.

I leaned against the back of my chair. "I thought I would reward you for your help last night." I explained.

"Oh." She said. "Cool."

Breakfast was calm for the most part. I noticed the girl didn't eat much. She kept her eyes fixed on the plate, refusing to meet the eyes of me or the other nobles at the table. Every muscle was tensed. I could tell that she must not like the attention. Most of them didn't try to catch her gaze anyway. She rested her chin on her hand, picking pathetically at her food.

"Elbows off the table." I said, nudging them down to her sides. "And sit up, Sky Child! You have the posture of a startled Kikwi! Seriously, the manners of your kind are unbelievable!"

"Sorry." She mumbled with a yawn.

After breakfast, I led her to my courtroom. As we walked, she was silent. I would have given most anything to know what she was thinking.

* * *

Marissa's POV

We reached the throne room. In front of us stood a pair of large doors. Ghirahim stopped outside the door, and, like the _gentleman _he was, he held it open for me. So, I promptly opened the other door and walked in.

"You," Ghirahim began, sitting on the large chair. "...may stay there." He gestured towards the space beside him. I stood there for a while, waiting for something to happen.

"What are we waiting for?" I asked.

"In a moment, residents of this estate and the neighboring villages, shall come to express their concerns to me."

"What kind of concerns?" I asked.

"Oh, just problems they may have. A sickness, a feud between families, perhaps a crime, maybe even a problem with my leadership, or questions regarding my master's return.." He answered, seeming annoyed at the last couple.

"What kind of problems would they have with your leadership?" I asked. And while I was at it, I added, "And who is your master? Where is he?" While I knew the answer to those last couple, I wouldn't have to worry about revealing my knowledge if the answer came from his own mouth.

"They most likely would be complaining about the absence of our true leader, Demise. He was imprisoned by Hylia. I shall say no more."

"Why is it taking so long for him to come back?" I asked. He instantly glared at me.

"Stop asking so many questions! Didn't anyone ever tell you what curiosity did to the remlit?" He asked irritably.

For a moment, I was confused. Then it hit me. Remlit. Cat. Duh. They had a similar idiom here as the one in my world, I guess.

Suddenly his eyes widened. "Oh, how rude of me! I should have offered the lady a seat!" With a snap, he summoned a small, wooden chair.

"Thank— " I broke off. "Hey! So just because I'm a girl, you don't think I can stand here for a while?"

Ghirahim threw back his head and laughed. "No, Sky Child, I _know_ you can't stand there this whole time. Not even I would enjoy that. And the fact is, males do tend to be stronger than females."

"Why you little!" I clenched my fist. I couldn't believe, out of all people, I was having this conversation with _Ghirahim. _He was barely even a man himself!

"You know what? I'm going to stand the _entire time, _just to show you I'm just as tough as any man."

"Ah, how cute. You realize, however, that we will be in here for the next six hours?" He asked smugly.

"Really? I've stood for longer." I lied.

"Have it your way, then." Ghirahim said. With a snap of his fingers, the chair disappeared. I stood defiantly, hoping he was just exaggerating about the six hours thing.

Over time, various demons and bokoblins came into the court. They would express their concerns or problems to Ghirahim, and then they would leave after getting their orders. While some of the problems seemed normal enough, most of them involved last night's storm. After a while, Ghirahim got irritated.

"Anyone who has a problem regarding last night's storm, shall now leave. Good-bye." He called. Basically everyone left after that.

"Entertain me, Little Remlit." Ghirahim said to me.

"Wait, what?" I asked. Then I glared at him. "No! I'm not going to _entertain you!_ And don't call me that. I'm not a pet!" I protested.

He reached over his thrown, and patted me on the head. "Oh, but you are! I've been going easy on you. I haven't assigned you many tedious chores yet. If you are not a servant, and you are not a bokoblin or noble, than you must be my pet. You are a lower species, after all."

I flinched away. "No I'm not." I muttered under my breath. However, suddenly his behavior started to make more sense. I guess he really did think of me as...as a _pet._

I didn't say anything after that; I just glared at him.

Soon, more creatures filed into the hall, and begged for help in their problems. A group of bokoblins came to get their post orders for the day, and two demons of the nearby village came to Ghirahim to settle a case over some missing cucoos. One had accused the other of stealing several hens.

After this case was settled, no-one came for a while. Ghirahim leaned back in his throne with a dramatic, over-exaggerated sigh.

"Oh how dull." He complained. He rolled his shoulders. "You know, My Little Remlit, my shoulders are quite sore. I could really use a massage." He said, giving me that look. Great. That nickname was a thing now. Oh boy.

"Yeah, not happening." I snapped. "And I'm not 'your little' anything!"

"Perhaps if you did this task, I may consider you my servant instead of my pet." He coaxed.

"Oh goody. How tempting." I said dryly. "But seriously, you want _my _hands, near your _neck?" _I asked. His face paled a bit at what I was implying, but he laughed it off.

"Quite the threat. However, you and I both know you wouldn't have the guts." He said smugly.

"Try me." I said darkly. Yes, he was right. No, I was not going to let him know.

He quickly dropped the subject, and returned to staring at the door.

After about an hour of standing there, bored out of my mind, I'd had enough. I walked toward one of the side doors.

"Sky Child, wait!" Ghirahim called.

I kept walking, and he didn't try to follow me.

I walked through several halls, surprised he had actually let me go. I wandered for a while, before coming to a disturbing realization: I was lost.

I walked around the manor quickly, looking for a point that I would recognize. And I came to one. Ghirahim's room. I recognized it by the door. I knew how to get my way back to the main part of the manor, but... I just had so many questions about Ghirahim. Maybe I would find something in his room.

I shouldn't. I really shouldn't. He's already warned me about going places I didn't belong, and his room was definitely out of the question. But, my trembling hands closed around the handle anyway.

All my muscles were tensed as I entered his room. I looked around, not paying much attention to the décor. I noticed that there were quite a few papers and maps strewn about the floor—probably because of the tornado. The wall and roof were gone, so I guess it made sense. That was strange though—he didn't seem like the kind of person who would be disorganized like that.

I shuffled through several of the papers on his desk. I noticed a map, covered in marks and X's. I saw a stack of paperwork, and several other important looking documents. But nothing that would give me the right information.

I continued to paw through the papers on his desk, until I heard footsteps.

"What do you think _you're doing._" A voice demanded. I whipped around, and nearly knocked over a shelf in my panic.

Malice stared at me in amusement.

"Don't _do _that!" I said in embarrassment. "What are you doing here, anyway?"

"I followed you. I had a feeling you would get into trouble. And here we are. But the real question is, what are _you _doing here, in Lord Ghirahim's room?" He asked.

"I was just...curious." I admitted.

Malice's orange eyes twinkled with amusement. "Curiosity killed the remlit, you know."

"Wait, what?" I asked in surprise. What a coincidence that I heard the expression again so soon

"Come on, let's go." Malice said, taking my arm. He led me down the hall, and to the entrance hall.

"You won't say anything to him, right?" I asked, the thought suddenly crossing my mind.

"Ghirahim? Nah. No one needs a reason to mess with him, in my opinion. But in your case, bad things would've happened if anyone else had caught you. Really bad things." He warned.

"Oh. I guess I owe you, then." I said.

"I wouldn't say that. I mean, you stopped Ghirahim from hurting me yesterday." He reasoned.

"Yeah, because you dropped a plate, and distracted him from _me_." I pointed out.

"Good thing I'm clumsy." He said, not meeting my eyes.

"I think you did it on purpose." I announced.

"Maybe." He said with a sly grin. "Like I said, no one really needs needs a good reason to mess with Ghirahim." He winked.

"True." I agreed with a laugh. "So...where are we going?"

"Did Ghirahim show you the barrack?" Malice asked.

"Well...no, he didn't." I informed him.

"You want to see them?" Malice asked.

"Hey, why not?" I said with a shrug. "But...won't you get into trouble if we're caught?"

Malice shrugged. "Most likely. That's why we're not going to get caught."

"Works for me." I said, and followed him with a spring in my step. I was sure relieved to have a friend here.

"This is it!" Malice said, gesturing inside.

"It's enormous!" I exclaimed. We were standing in a large gray building. Many doors lined the side, and a long line of tables lined the north wall. To our right was the infirmary, judging by the sign anyway.

Dozens of bokoblins and lizalfos were milling about the center of the building. The majority of the creatures, however, were bokoblins, with the occasional demon.

"The male monsters are sent to their posts every day." Malice explained. "And the females stay behind to take care of the young."

"Wait, so...they breed here?" I asked. As I looked around, I noticed several smaller monsters and demons playing nearby. They must be the children. A young bokoblin, and a little demon were throwing an old, beat-up green ball near us.

"Of course. How else would we have an army of monsters?" He asked.

"I don't know, if you, like, created them with magic?" I said in embarrassment. I never gave the topic much thought, but I always thought Ganondorf/Demise/Ghirahim always had a large army of monsters because they just...summoned them or something.

Malice laughed. "Magic doesn't work that way! They are created like any other offspring." He explained, shaking his head. Then he snuck a mischievous glance at me. "You...do know where kids come from, don't you?"

"DUH! I went to fifth grade health class!" I said, my cheeks heating up once again.

Malice rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Back to the tour. As I was saying, the male monsters guard various locations around the Surface, while their families stay behind. And the demons are the generals of the army. They give the orders, and the monsters do the fighting."

"Interesting." I said. This answered all the questions I had about the villains' system of monsters.

Without warning, I felt something hit me in the back of the head.

"Hey!" I said. I looked to the ground, and saw the small, green ball near my feet. I noticed the two children staring at me wide-eyed. I smiled reassuringly, and held out the ball. Slowly, the little demon walked forward. She had a little blue dress on, and her strawberry-blonde hair pulled back in pigtails. Her skin had a magenta tint to it. I looked down at her, and was shocked when my eyes met her piercing violet ones. They looked out of place in such a young child.

I held out the ball, and slowly, and cautiously, she took it.

"Hi, Violet!" Malice said, kneeling near the young child. She instantly smiled a wide grin, revealing a few missing teeth. Judging by that, and her height, I was guessing the child was about six or seven.

"Al!" She squealed, throwing her tiny arms around the demon's shoulders.

"How are you?" asked Malice, with a small twinkle in his eyes. He glanced at me. "This is my little sister, Violet. He explained. I smiled down at the young girl.

"Hello. I'm M—Ocean. My name's Ocean." I said. Neither of them noticed that I almost gave away my name—and in turn my secret—for which I was grateful.

Violet stared up at me, wide-eyed. "Your Ears!" She exclaimed.

"What? What about them?" I asked, alarmed. I raised up my hand, and touched the skin.

"They're round!" She exclaimed in awe.

"That's because Ocean is not a demon. She's a Skyloftian." Malice explained. Yeah. That's why.

"Skyloafian?" She asked.

"Yeah, something like that." I said. Violet continued to stare at my ears, and I began to feel self-conscious. I never really have been good with kids. I always worry I'm going to say or do something stupid.

"Can I touch ear?" She asked.

"Um, sure." I said, awkwardly bending down. She felt my round ear with her tiny hands.

I looked up at Malice, who watched us with a smile. Then Malice frowned. "Wait, don't Skyloftians have pointy ears, too?" Malice realized.

"Yeah..." I said, straightening up. "I guess I'm just...special."

"Right." Malice said, not looking convinced. To my relief, he didn't question me any more. I pointed at the ball, trying to distract them.

"Having fun?" I asked. She nodded earnestly. "Do you have room for one more?" I inquired, with a smile.

Her eyes lit up, and she nodded so hard her pointy ears flapped.

"Make that two!" Malice added.

* * *

We played ball with Violet and her friends for the next hour or two. They were little bundles of energy, and I could barely keep up. And this is coming from the person who typically runs circles around her friends. What I mean to say is, they enjoyed themselves, and I had a fun time as well.

Soon, horns were blown, and a large door across the room opened. A long line of monsters filed in. The children, including Violet, bolted towards them. I saw bokoblins walk in, and run to their families. I noticed that the ones coming in were a lot taller and stronger than the ones in camp. The smaller ones must've been the females. As I watched them, I realized the females had a bit softer features, longer hair, and kinder eyes.

I saw a bokoblin run across the room, and embrace Violet, lifting her into the air. With a jolt, I recognized him as one of the bokoblins from the campfire. A skinny female ran to him, and embraced him as well. The two walked away, with the male still carrying Violet. I smiled. Now I was sure glad I decided to spare them.

"Thank you." Malice said from behind me. "I've been worried about Violet lately. With me working all day, and our folks dead, she has seemed a bit lonely."

"Wait, your parents are dead?" I asked.

He nodded sadly. "Yes. Violet was just a baby. We used to live in the village on the south border of Ghirahim's estate. Then one day, the Rebels raided the village, and cut down our parents in the process."

"The Rebels?" I asked.

"They're a group of monsters and demons against Ghirahim. They don't believe in his leadership. They kill innocent people, claiming that they will only stop if Ghirahim is replaced." He explained bitterly. "My parents were collateral damage."

"I'm so sorry." I sympathized. "That's terrible."

"Yeah, well, they're one of many." He said, looking away. "Anyway, after my parents bit the dust, we were alone. A few older demons rounded up us orphans, and sent us here. Ghirahim assigned the younger children to a family of bokoblins. As for the rest of us...well..." He sighed. "See, most demons in the manor are nobles. So were there parents. They've received military training since they could walk, and then followed in their father's footsteps as generals or other military positions. Those of us from the village, however, have no education beyond what their parents gave them. So Ghirahim gave us other, less important positions. Most of them became servants, like me. Some became cooks, or maids, but most of us became servants. We earn our keep. That's what he says, anyway.

"As for Violet, she will be raised by those bokoblins. I try to visit her every day, but sometimes its just too hard. I just feel so bad for her. I mean, besides her adopted parents, I'm all she has."

I had no way to respond. So I just patted his shoulder instead.

"'Bye Al!" I heard the young demon call. We both glanced at her as she waved at us from the bokoblin's arms. "'Bye, Round-Ears!" She added, glancing at me. I smiled as I watched the girl. After all she had been through, she still retained some of her youthful innocence. Besides her appearance, there really wasn't much difference between her and human children. How strange. But then again, who says all demons are evil, anyway? Who says your average demon is that much different than one of us?

* * *

**So Malice has a little sister, huh? I'll update soon, but please be patient. That's it for today, though. Please fav/follow/review! Thanks for the current 43! I'm so grateful to have you guys. well, Catwhiskers 24 out. **


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 17: Rooftop Meeting**

**Here's another chapter. I'm sorry, but I probably won't have another one until Friday. Winter Break is over, so... ****Back to the story. I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own LoZ, just my OC's**

* * *

**Marissa's POV**

I sat in my cell once again. Tonight the sky was clear, and I could see the stars in the dark sheet above. I twiddled my thumbs in boredom as I stared at the glowing white orbs. I wondered how long I would be stuck here. Another day? A week? A month? Longer? I sighed sadly. All I could hope was that I'd have a chance to escape. Or...or maybe someone would rescue me? Perhaps with Zelda safe, Link would save me. But...no...that was silly. There was no way for him to find me. And besides, I could understand his desire to save a childhood friend like Zelda, but why should he risk life and limb to rescue a girl he's only known for a year? I could still hope...

No. I would not sit here, spending my days waiting for my hero in shining(or I guess in this case green...) armor to come rescue me. I wouldn't sit around like some dewy-eyed princess, or pathetic damsel in distress. No, I would be getting myself out of this. But that didn't mean I couldn't use some help. I had a feeling Malice wouldn't mind lending me a hand.

As if the thought summoned him, I heard the demon's careful footsteps echo around the dungeon as he walked down the stairs.

"Malice! What are you doing here?" I exclaimed as I saw his face a moment later. He gave me a sly smile, and pulled a ring of keys from his tattered servant coat.

"I thought I'd get you out of here." he said with a grin.

"Oh my gosh, thank you!" I exclaimed as he unlocked the door. "How did you get the keys?"

"I'm in charge of the prisoners. Probably not Ghirahim's best idea considering the only person down here is the one friend I have in this joint." He explained hurriedly as I emerged from the cell.

"We're friends?" I joked. He stopped, staring up at me in surprise.

"Well I mean I-I just assumed...I mean I just thought since we're always, you-know, hanging out together and stuff..." He trailed off in embarrassment.

"Kidding. Of course we are. It's just impossible for me to tell with boys." I explained.

"Heh. Right." Said Malice, looking a bit relieved.

He led the way up to the main entrance hall. We snuck around the corner, and walked down a dark hallway, lit only by a few old candles.

"Where are we going?" I hissed. Malice shushed me, and motioned for me to be follow. We came to a set of worn wooden doors on either side of the hallway. Malice opened the third one down, and led me inside.

"Is this your room?" I asked.

Malice nodded, shutting the door. "Yep. Home sweet home!"

His room was barely bigger than my cell. It was empty except for a small shelf, and an old, cheap bed in the corner. A large window hung a few feet above the pillow. The room smelled like mothballs and rotting wood.

"This is terrible!' I exclaimed. "No offense."

"Welcome to the servant quarters." He muttered.

"Why did you take me here?" I asked.

"I couldn't help you escape completely. There are magical barriers around the manor that will trigger an alarm if any servant crosses them. They also prevent me from warping away." He explained bitterly.

"It's like a prison." I muttered. Malice nodded.

"Yes, it is. But that doesn't mean you have to rot in your cell all night. Come on, I want to show you something." He said, leading the way over to the window. He hoisted himself through the frame.

"Malice! What are you doing?" I asked.

"Come on!" He exclaimed. I followed him out of the window. We stood on the very edge of the frame. Malice began to climb up the side, using the deep clefts in the bricks as handholds. I followed him up. Malice motioned for me to be quiet when we reached a large window near the top. I recognized it as the one I saw in Ghirahim's room. The roof was repaired. I guess the repair team is pretty efficient. Impressive.

When we reached the edge of the roof, Malice climbed over the edge, and helped me up as well.

"Heights don't bother you, do they?" He asked.

"Not at all." I panted. Then I looked around. "Whoa..." You could see the entire estate from here. "This is really cool!" I told him. Malice smiled and nodded, sitting near the edge of the roof.

"This is the one place I have to just...think." He said. "The one place I can be alone." He glanced at me. "I mean, besides you of course. Sometimes I just need a break from it all, you know?"

"I agree. Sometimes you just need to get high to clear your mind. I guess this will have to do as long as I'm under-aged." I said with a sly grin at Malice, who snorted in laughter. Then we both sighed.

"Ghirahim's room is right below us, you know." Malice said.

"Wait, what?" I gasped.

"Yeah. Ironic, huh? His servants are disobeying him right underneath his nose." He said with a smirk.

"Technically it's _above_ his nose, but..." I corrected.

"Oh shut up." Malice laughed.

"Aren't you afraid he'll catch us?" I asked. Malice shook his head.

"Nah. That's the beauty in this. He'd never dare to check up here. Do you know why?" He asked.

"No clue." I admitted.

"He may act like a fearless, lionhearted leader, but he's not as brave as you may think." He said with a smug look.

"He's afraid of heights?"

"I think so. Whenever he's anywhere remotely high up, he freezes in terror." Malice said.

"How do you know?" I asked.

"Rumors travel fast in this manor. Especially when it involves our leader. In a few days, everyone knows. I almost feel bad for him. He can't keep anything a secret. Although...it would probably help if he didn't tense every time he came near a second-story window." Malice said, shaking his head.

"Wow..." I said. "I had no idea."

"Yes, well, you're new here. I doubt he would want you to know so soon." he said with a shrug.

"Oops." I joked. Malice took out two fruits from his bag.

"Here." He said, handing one to me.

"Oh. Where did you get these?" I asked. Malice smirked.

"All you have to do is go to the kitchen, and take what you want. If anyone asks, you're taking it to Lord Ghirahim." He said smugly. "Works every time."

"But..." I hesitated. "Isn't that stealing?"

Malice shrugged. "I guess. But he barely feeds us servants. Besides, it's not like he'd miss it." he said, taking a large bite of the fruit.

"I guess." I put down the fruit. "I'm not really hungry, though."

"Suit yourself." Malice said with a shrug. He picked at some paint on the roof. "It must be nice, being his favorite and all."

"I'm not his favorite!" I said in surprise.

"Ocean, you kind of are. You've only been here two nights and you've already been promoted to eating at the table. You know, I've served him faithfully for almost six years now. And he's never once said 'thank you Malice' or anything." He said bitterly.

"I'm sorry," I said. "But I guess he learned from the best. His master doesn't seem like the nice type either."

"Yeah, well." Malice picked off a chunk of plaster on the roof, and tossed it off the roof. "That doesn't mean he has to treat us like this." I watched him with concern. I could tell he was more bitter than he let on. I decided changing the subject.

"So...Malice, what—"

"Please don't call me that. I hate that name." Malice interrupted. "It's not my given name, either. I had a different one. But when I was sent here, Ghirahim made me change it, because he said it sounded pathetic. Now I can't even remember what it was. All I know is that I liked it better than _Malice, _which by itself makes me feel automatically evil. It makes me feel like a monster. And I don't want to be. I want to be kind. If I were leader, servants wouldn't be treated like worthless bags of manure. They would be respected." Malice said forcefully. Then he lowered his head. "But I'm not. I'm just a servant. I'm just Malice."

"No. You're _Al." _I corrected. Mali—no, _Al—_smiled weakly.

"Yeah." He said. "Oh, Violet. She's the only reason this is all worth it." He glanced at me. "You know, I've never told anyone this, but...one time..." He sighed. "One time, I came up here. I was at an all time low. I was mad at Ghirahim, at myself, at the world..." He looked away. "I just wanted it all to stop. So I came up here like usual, and looking down, I realized just how easy it would be to stop. It would be so easy for everything to end. But then I thought of Violet, and I..."

I rested a hand on his shoulder, trying not to betray how disturbed his confession made me. Looking down, I imagined someone plummeting down, their body shattering on the gravel below. The manor may not be that high, but it was still tall enough that such a fall would surely kill you. But at least he said he _used _to feel like that.

"Well, you have me now. And so long as I'm around, I won't let Ghirahim mistreat you." I promised.

Al smiled at me, and I smiled back. We sat there for a long time. I sighed, more confused than ever. Why had I never heard of any of this? The longer I stayed here, the deeper tangled I was becoming with this world.

* * *

A few hours before sunrise, Malice helped me sneak back into my cell. We wouldn't want Ghirahim to find out about this.

I'd pulled all-nighters before, so I was used to going a few days without sleep, but I still didn't want Ghirahim to be suspicious if I was tired.

I thought for a while about how I could explain my surely exhausted look. I could blame last night's tornado, but he probably wouldn't believe that.

Then it hit me: I was in a crappy, dreadful, uncomfortable cell. Who would have a good night's sleep somewhere like this? If I just pretended that I'd been miserable all night, Ghirahim hopefully wouldn't suspect a thing.

With a grin, I got an idea of how to make my point, too. I picked up the bokoblin skull, and waited until morning.

* * *

**Ghirahim's POV**

I strolled down to the girl's cell, humming softly. Maybe I would let her sit at my table today, too. In fact, if everything goes well, I may even give her the day off. Why was I in such a jovial mood, you ask? Earlier that day, I'd gotten a report from a patrol of bokoblins, and they had exciting news. They'd spotted a blonde haired girl. They'd attempted to apprehend her, but the brain-dead Kikwi Elder had helped her escape. If I ran into him on the way, well, let's just say their would be one less hideous flora-fauna mix in the forest.

I'd also heard something about an old woman aiding the Spirit Maiden in her escape. I could sense both of them heading towards Skyview temple. If it hadn't been for that old servant of the goddess, she would likely be in our grasp already. That dog!

I couldn't be too angry, though. This was an excellent advancement. Now that the Spirit Maiden was on the surface, there was nothing stopping me from capturing her. Nothing could stand in my way! Except, of course, that boy. I'd sensed both of their presences earlier. It seemed they'd come to the surface together, and then been separated. The boy was obviously after the girl as well. I could not let him foil my plans. I needed assitance. That's were the girl came in.

I unlocked the door of the cell. Without warning, I saw a bokoblin skull hurtling towards my face. I moved my head to the side slightly, and with lightning-fast reflexes, I caught it.

"Now that wasn't a very kind way to greet me." I remarked.

The girl had her back pressed against the back of the cell, glaring at me in fear like a caged animal, which, I guess she actually was. I noticed her eyes were a bit bloodshot. Perhaps the cell wasn't so comfortable.

"Have a good sleep, now didn't we?" I asked. She glared daggers at me, and shook her head.

"I hate it here." She said bitterly.

"Perhaps if you behave on our mission, I may decide to move you to a nicer room." I suggested. She raised an eyebrow.

"Oh yeah? And what..._mission_ is that?" She asked.

"You are to aid me in capturing the Spirit Maiden." I answered. Her eyes grew huge.

"Wait, what! Zelda's on the surface?" She asked. I nodded, and she stared at me, appalled.

"Don't look at _me._" I protested. "Zella and the boy came down on their own."

"_Zelda,_" She said in frustration. "Dude, you really have to work on names. And even if they really did come to the surface—which I really doubt—I refuse to betray Zelda or Link."

"So the the boy's name is Link..." He mused. Her eyes bugged.

"No! No, it's not. Oh crap, I shouldn't have said that. I should _not _have said that."

I smiled and hooked a finger underneath her chin. "Thanks for the intell, my Sweet Little Remlit." I said.

She glared at me and grabbed my arm. "_Never _call me that." She said. Her voice was dead serious, and the blue glare she fixed me with was as icy as winter snow. She squeezed down on my finger, and twisted it. I tried not to wince, and smiled casually, pulling away my hand.

I left the cell, and walked towards the stairs. "The maids will bring down your clothes." I called over my shoulder. "Be up in five minutes."

* * *

**There you go! Now the adventure begins! Anyway, please fav/follow/review. Until next time.**


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 18: Forest Confrontation**

**Heh...heh...look at that. I guess I lied. I had some extra time, so I decided to give ya one more chapter. It's a longer one. Yay.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own LoZ...just my OC's and plot twists. **

* * *

**Marissa's POV**

After a quick breakfast, Ghirahim led me outside. Before I could protest, he grabbed my arm, and warped us to Faron Woods. We appeared in the middle of the forest.

We walked in silence for a while. I stayed a comfortable distance away from him. Soon, however, I became unsure of what his intention of bringing me was.

"So..." I began.

"I'm listening, but do make your point quick." Ghirahim called back.

"Okay..." I hesitated. "What...what exactly am I supposed to do as your little partner or whatever?" I asked.

"We are _not _partners." Ghirahim snapped. "But, as for how you will be of service, remember when I first made you my servant? I told you that I may want to use your knowledge of sword-fighting."

"Then..." I swallowed. "You want me to fight for you?"

"Precisely." Ghirahim said. "But only if I need help. With any luck, there shouldn't be any trouble. Though...I suppose that wouldn't be as exciting." He mused, conflicted.

"Right..." I said. "But if I'm going to fight...don't I need a weapon?" I asked. On the first day at the manor, Ghirahim had taken all my possessions. Well, not all of them.

"You do." He agreed. "Why don't you use that shiny knife in your boot?" He asked. "I'm almost surprised you haven't tried to kill me with it yet."

I blinked in shock. That was where I always hid my dagger. I'd had it this entire time, but I hadn't dared reveal it. I doubted I could take on Ghirahim with a tiny knife. So I'd kept it as a last resort. But how did he know?

"How did you..."

"Simple. No serious knight would walk around with only one weapon. Those boots are the perfect size to conceal a small dagger. You haven't taken them off in the entire time I've been in your presence. Besides that, such a young, healthy girl wouldn't step so gingerly with their right foot, unless they were hiding something. It's enough to make one suspicious."

"But if you knew, why didn't you force me to give it to you?" I asked, puzzled.

"Because. I wanted to see what you would do. You don't know how fun it is to play with you, My Remlit." He said with a small chuckle.

"Oh." I said. "Jerk."

We continued to walk for a while. Eventually, we reached the elevated path leading into the deep woods. Then Ghirahim stiffened.

"Stop." He commanded.

"What?" I asked.

"The male Sky-Child is coming." He answered in a hiss. I instantly brightened.

"You mean Link?" He didn't answer, he just looked around. He eyes fell on the platform across from the entrance to the deep woods. He walked towards me, and wrapped his arms around my waist.

"WHAT THE—" My sentence turned into a scream as he jumped, pulling me up with him. We landed on the platform.

"Hey! Paws off, buddy!" I snapped, wriggling out of his grasp. Then I looked down. He just jumped like ten feet! "Whoa. Dude. You've got hops!" I exclaimed. He silenced me with a glare.

Ghirahim turned, watching a figure walk up the steps. The figure lifted a slingshot, and sent a deku nut at a curled vine. As it turned it's face, I realized it was Link. This must be that part in the game where as Link goes down path, the camera zooms out, and you see two diamond-covered legs that disappear in a metallic-sounding flash.

_Stupid_ I told myself. This was Link! The hero! Why was I just sitting here? I should be getting his attention. If anyone could help me escape Ghirahim, it was Link. Sure, calling for help was a bit of a damsel-in-distress kind of thing, but at this point, I really didn't care.

I stepped forward, ignoring Ghirahim's protest. Just as he started running down the path, I yelled.

"L—" Ghirahim's hand shot over my mouth, and we disappeared in a flurry of diamonds.

* * *

"Don't _do _that!" I shrieked at him, still stumbling from the nauseous effects of warping.

"No. You don't do that! You almost compromised our position!" Ghirahim shouted back. We had teleported somewhere near the temple, and Link was a while behind.

"That's the point, you diphthong!" I snapped. "I was trying to escape, okay? I'll admit it."

Ghirahim gripped me by the collar, and pulled me towards him so that we were inches apart. I could feel his warm breath on my cheek.

"Listen and listen well, Sky Child. This mission is more important than you know. If I don't succeed, my master...he will..." Ghirahim trailed off, releasing me. "If you betray me now, it will be bad for the both of us. I am already debating whether or not to let you live. Don't test my patience, because if you think for one second that I will not kill you, then you are very wrong. I may be a near-perfect being, but the one thing I do lack is mercy." He snarled. "And I do not tolerate betrayals. Trust is everything to me. If you betray that trust, then there is nothing that will stop me from killing you. Now come on, you may still prove yourself."

He whipped around, his mantle billowing behind him. I took in a shaky breath and followed him.

* * *

We headed into the temple. Ghirahim walked at a brisk pace, sending monsters to various posts as we walked.

I was deep in thought as I followed him. I heard a snap as he summoned some monster. I slowly looked up, and my eyes widened. On a web in front of us, confidently poised, was a huge skulltula. And man, they were a million times freakier and disgusting in person.

"S-S-SPIDER!" I screamed, and jumped behind my companion. I crouched behind Ghirahim, clutching his leg. "KILL IT! KILL IT WITH FIRE!" I screeched. Ghirahim laughed deep in his throat.

"Why Sky Child, are you afraid of _spiders_?" He asked.

"No!" I said, a little too defensively. I stood up, and brushed off my pants in embarrassment. I couldn't believe I had just hid behind _Ghirahim!_ Not my proudest moment.

I cleared my throat. "No. It's just a mutual hatred."

Ghirahim raised an eyebrow. "Mutual, you say?"

"Yeah! I always feel like they find me just to spite me. And then they stare me down with those beady little eyes! It's creepy!" I shuddered. The skull on the spider's back seemed to grin. "See! They're big jerks!" I said. Ghirahim laughed again, and rested a hand on my shoulder.

"Don't fret, My Remlit. I will protect you." He said, and he almost seemed genuine. He smiled a bit, and for a moment, he almost looked kind.

"I don't need protecting." I muttered, though I stood a bit closer to him.

We reached the last door of the dungeon, and Ghirahim sealed it with an over-complicated lock.

"Let's see the Sky-Boy get through this, shall we?" He sang happily.

"Sure." I said, bored.

Ghirahim crossed the room to another door. This one glowed with the gleaming azure sign of the goddess. It was sealed shut.

"What now?" I asked.

"I break through." He answered, summoning his rapier.

"This oughta be good." I said, rolling my eyes. I followed him to the door. "How are you going to open it?" I asked. "Magic? Dynamite? Headbutt?"

The demon took a mighty swing with his sword, and I heard the sound of metal bouncing off stone.

"Wow. I'm so impressed." I said.

"Shut up!" He said, swinging his sword again. "You're breaking my concentration." His second try yielded the same result. Ghirahim cursed, and tried again. He lazily slashed at the door for several minutes. Soon, I heard the giant stone door open as our hero entered.

"Hey Ghir?" I said. "You might wanna wrap this up. We've got company."

Ghirahim froze, and his sword slowly disappeared.

"Ahh...so kind of you to join us, boy." Ghirahim drawled. "I would've thought that fall would've shattered you, and yet here you are. Not in pieces. Not that your life or death has any consequence."

Link stared at Ghirahim. Then his gaze flicked to me. His eyes widened.

"There you are! Zelda and I have been looking all over for you. We thought you fell to the surface, so we tried to find a way to get here. Then this blue lady came to me, and led me to a building behind the temple. I got this sword, and I opened a path in the clouds. I was going to go alone, but Zelda insisted on coming with. She said something about her destiny being on the surface. Then, as we floated towards the ground, a big gust of wind came, and...we were separated. I've been looking for you two ever since. I think—"

"Enough of your frivolous babbling." Ghirahim interrupted. "I'm sure Ocean here would love to know what happened, but I haven't the time."

"Ocean? What is he talking about, Ma—"

"Ghirahim, aren't you forgetting something?" I interjected quickly. Ghirahim's eyes grew wide.

"How silly of me! I always forget to introduce myself to you children. My name is Ghirahim. Truthfully, I would like to be indulged by my full title, Lord Ghirahim, but—"

"Cut to the chase." I interrupted. Ghirahim glared at me, but then sighed.

"I suppose you are right. The longer we dawdle in here, the more likely the Spirit Maiden will escape." He admitted.

"Wait, Spirit Maiden? Do you mean Zelda?" Link asked. Ghirahim nodded. Link narrowed his eyes. "What do you want with her?"

"I simply need to sacrifice her soul to resurrect my master. So if you would kindly move along..." Ghirahim answered impatiently.

"No!" Link protested. "I won't let you!"  
"I figured you would say something like that." He said with a sigh. He turned to me. "Servant, let's dispose of this pesky creature." He said.

Link stared at me in horror. "You work for him?"

"Not 'work for', per se," I corrected. "It's more of a...forced into slavery kind of deal,"

"Enough chattering. I have become sick of talking with you, boy. If you won't leave, I might as well make you bleed." Ghirahim rolled his shoulders, and his cape disappeared into little diamonds.

He looked at me expectantly. I swallowed, and stepped forward. Link stared at me, a betrayed, hurt look on his face. I looked between the two. Link was the obvious choice. It was always safe to side with the hero. Besides, Link wins this battle, right?

But then...Ghirahim kind-of sort-of trusted me. Perhaps if I got him to trust me even more, he'd let me in. I could find out more. It was always nice to be on the enemy's good side.

And then there was my other internal conflict. Was Ghirahim really evil? Sure he got violent at times, but really, he was just the puppet of an even worse master. What if I befriended him? I just might be able to shift his loyalties. Sometimes, when he looked at me, he almost seemed kind. Sometimes it wasn't actually that awful to be around him. I mean, for the most part, the campfire was actually kind of fun. And judging by the fact he was hugging my arm in his sleep, Ghirahim actually might have a soft side buried in him somewhere. If I could figure out how to get him to open up...

Link _already was _my friend, though. I trusted him and Zelda more than anyone in this world. And also, what about my prophecy? Wasn't I supposed to protect him?

Unless...unless the blue spirit was _Fi_...If so, then, who was I? The Azure Ocean?

Oh Hylia, I'm stupid. Azure. _Ocean. _I'm such an idiot. What else would I be? But if I was the Azure Ocean, then I'm supposed to protect the...oh no.

"Sky Child, we are waiting for an answer." Ghirahim said, with wavering patience in his voice.

"Wha'?" I jolted out of my epiphany long enough to realize that the two boys were staring at me. Man I hated choices.

I ignored the prophecy, and took a few steps to stand at Link's side.

"I'm sorry, Ghirahim, but I told you. I refuse to betray Link." I said, not meeting his gaze. Link smiled at me weakly, and brushed his fingers against my hand.

Ghirahim sighed, and his shoulders slumped a bit. "So my servant already is betraying me. Disappointing. I thought you'd show at least a little loyalty. And even after all I've done for you. That's sad." He glared at me, almost looking hurt. When he blinked, however, the look was gone.

"I'll deal with _you _later." He said to me. With a snap, he sent me flying against a wall, knocking the breath out of me. Red chains appeared on my arms and legs.

"Hey!" I protested. Ghirahim ignored me, and turned to Link.

"Let us fight!" He exclaimed. I watched as Link ran towards him. Ghirahim blocked Link's blows with ease.

"Get him, Link!" I called. They both glanced at me. Ghirahim stopped, taking an additional moment to send me a furious glare. Link took advantage of the moment of distraction by swinging his sword. Ghirahim dodged at the last second, and the tip of the blade caught him in the right cheek.

Ghirahim winced at the wound. The next time Link swung his sword, Ghirahim was ready. He caught the blade with ease, and attempted to wrench it from his opponent's grip.

"Shield bash 'im, Link!" I called. Link heeded my advice, slamming Ghirahim in the chest with his wooden shield. Ghirahim stumbled back, holding his side.

He hastily moved onto the next phase of the fight. With a snap, he re-summoned his black blade. Without hesitating, he rushed towards Link. I stared in horror as the demon slashed his sword across Link's left side. Ghirahim shoved the boy, throwing him to the ground.

"No..." I whispered, yanking at the chains as my heart began to pound.

Ghirahim pinned Link to the ground. He wiped a bit of blood from his lips, and then drew back his sword. The hero's eyes widened in fear as he clutched the wound on his side.

"NO!" I screamed. Suddenly, the red chains holding me against the wall exploded into azure fragments, disappearing harmlessly as they hit the ground. Ignoring the strange occurrence, I landed on my feet and dashed towards the clashing pair.

"Stop!" I pleaded, grabbing Ghirahim's elbow. He jerked his arm back. Pain exploded on my face, and I tasted lead as the hilt of his sword connected with my jaw. Ghirahim stared at me in shock as I cried out and stumbled back. Blood ran down my chin and neck as my skin split from the impact, though there was barely any pain. Just a dull throbbing, and an intense tingling. I couldn't feel the left side of my face or tongue. I reached up, and touched my chin with my hand, but I couldn't feel my fingers touching the skin. It was numb. My jaw itself felt like cold jelly. I cursed. It was probably broken.

"Idiotic girl," Ghirahim muttered, and turned back to his opponent.

"Leave him alone!" I exclaimed, yanking at his shoulder. The demon shook me off. Having no choice, I drew my knife. Closing my eyes, I stabbed him in the upper leg, right in the thigh. He bellowed and fell, tearing the blade from his flesh. His head hit the ground and he was still.

Fighting back nausea. I bent next to Link. He stared at me, in shock of what I'd just done.

"What the..." He rasped. I spotted a red potion sticking out of his pouch. I opened it, and held it out to him.

"Drink this." I directed. My words sounded muffled, and it hurt to talk. He hesitated.

"But your face..." He said.

"Never mind that. Drink. I insisted. The blonde took the bottle and downed the contents. Instantly, the wounds on his side closed and vanished. He sat up with a wince.

"Go. Find Zelda." I commanded.

"What about you?" He asked.

"I...I have to stay here." I answered quietly. "I think my duty is somewhere else. I have to figure out what the prophecy means." I looked at Ghirahim's still form. I did that. I felt bitter remorse constrict my throat, and the sight of fresh blood on my blade made me feel sick. I thought of the prophecy and bowed my head. "Besides...someone has to keep him out of trouble, right?"

"It doesn't have to be you, though." Link protested.

"Yeah, well. It doesn't matter. Just go. I'll catch up later." I promised, praying my words were true.

Link opened his mouth to protest, but then nodded.

"Stay out of trouble," he commanded, standing up. "You still owe me that dance, remember?" I nodded and tilted my head with a wink.

"Who do you think you're talking to?" I joked. Link smiled slightly, and then ran towards the door.

"Wait! Link!" I said. He stopped. "Just...be careful, okay?"

Link smiled and nodded. Then he was gone. I knelt next to Ghirahim. He was out cold, though blood still pulsed steadily out of his leg. I had no idea what to do. I didn't have my own potions.

I cursed, and then looked around. I thought about what I did whenever I needed health in the game. There were potions, hearts, stools to rest... But only one of those actually existed in this world. Thinking about it, I'd hardly ever died in the game because I was always carrying a...a fairy. Of course! The small creatures healed your wounds if you approached them. And I knew exactly where to find some. I ran to the fountain outside. Link had already left, so the spring outside was silent, save for the quiet cascade of the waterfall. A few birds chirped in the trees, and an amber rabbit darted between my legs, and down the path.

My eyes shifted to the columns of water on the other side of the fountain. One of the back, middle ones glistened with a flickering magenta glow.

My heart thumped as I swept towards the tiny healing sprites. Slowly, I reached my hand towards one of them. As soon as I got close, it darted towards me. It spiraled around me, sprinkling a cloud of pink fairy dust around my face. Slowly, I felt the bone shift, and seal itself. The swelling of my cheek died down, and the numbness faded to a sharp pinch. I placed a hand on my face in awe. Then, I carefully caught one of the other fairies in the empty bottle Link had left.

I dashed back into the temple. Kneeling beside Ghirahim, I prepared to uncork the bottle. Then something occurred to me. I had _stabbed_ him. Why was I suspecting he would take me back to the manor? I realized my entire plan was risky. When he woke up, he would be _pissed_. I would be lucky if he didn't kill me.

I devised a plan. I quickly released the fairy. It poured fairy dust into his wound, and then spiraled away. Ghirahim groaned, and I did what any honorable girl would do. I ran for my life.

I hadn't gone far before a hand slapped over my mouth, and another around my waist. My vision disappeared in a flash of red and yellow.

* * *

**Oh...another cliffhanger. Heh. Love you guys. Don't kill me!**

**As always, please fav/follow/review if you have the time. Catwhiskers24 out.**


	20. Chapter 20: Someone's in Deep Trouble

Chapter 19: Someone's In Deep Trouble

**Surprise! Yay for cold weather! I had some extra time and couldn't wait to share this chapter. It's one of my favorites. I hope you like it too!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own LoZ. **

* * *

Marissa's POV

We appeared in the middle of Faron Woods. I stumbled forward and tried to run, but Ghirahim gripped my arm.

"How dare you?" He snarled, shoving me against a tree. I winced at the impact.

"How dare you stand in my way? If it hadn't been for you, the boy would be dead and the girl as good as mine. But no, you just _had_ to get in my way. Do you know what Demise will do to me for this?" His voice had an underlying note of bitterness while his eyes gleamed coldly with the devoted determination of a fanatic. His onyx eyes radiated so much anger that I was forced to look away.

He pushed my left shoulder against the tree with one hand and gripped my neck with the other. I couldn't help but notice the muscles rippling in his shoulders. _I'm in trouble._

"I-I..." I gasped.

"You miserable little _brat_! I should've killed you when I had the chance. But I suppose late is better than never." He said, with a glint of malice in his eye. I swallowed in fear.

"Though..." He held a hand to his chin thoughtfully. "Perhaps capital punishment is a bit harsh."

He set his hand against the top of the tree, leaning forward with an unreadable expression. "I should probably give you a chance." He pressed his rapier against my throat. "You have 10 seconds to convince me not to snuff out the weak flame of your life. Choose your words wisely."

I hesitated uncertainly. There were a number of things I could do or say, but which one would work? I could try to fight back, but his grip was firm. I couldn't move, much less fight or escape as long as he had me pinned against this tree. I had to surprise him somehow in order to wriggle out of his grasp. But how?

"Well? Say _something_, Skychild, before my patience runs thin." He said, his mouth twisted in an angry scowl. I could tell he was more furious than he let on.

I glanced into his dark obsidian eyes, still considering how to break free. They were like a void, as if reminding me that he was not to be messed with. Like a reminder of the possible oblivion that is death.

A thought came into my mind. My dimension had a number of things that sounded normal to us, but they would make no sense to an outsider. If I could catch him off guard, maybe I could escape. But what to say?

"I only wanna die alive, never by the hands of a broken heart." I half sang-half spoke. His grip faltered, but only slightly. That's okay, it was all part of the plan.

"You aren't making sense. Why do you say that?"

"Because, as Arianna Grande would say...this is: the part where I _break_ _free."_ His gaze wavered, along with his grip. I smiled. _Perfect_.

"What are you babbling about, servant? Who is-" I interrupted him by elbowing him hard in the chest, and then wrenched my shoulder out from underneath his hand.

"See ya later!" I called over my shoulder, running away with the desperation of a newly escaped zoo animal. I dashed wildly through the woods, not paying attention to where I was going. The colors of the forest flew past in a green blur.

Soon I came to a large lake. On the opposite side I spotted something that made my heart soar. A bird statue. I could use it to get back to Skyloft.

But despite the fact that I knew how to swim, I still didn't think I could cross the large body of water. It looked deep, and thin mirrors of ice gleamed on the surface, reflecting the sun's weak rays. But that didn't matter. I had no choice.

I spotted something brown out of the corner of my eye. Turning, I saw half of a rotting, hollow log. Gross...but maybe it could float.

I grabbed the edge and yanked it towards me, trying not to be bothered by the moss and lichen making its way under my fingernails.

I managed to my push my pathetic boat into the water. I laid on my stomach in the log and kicked my feet in the water to propel myself forward. Drops of water arched over my head, and the stinging mist landed on my shoulder. Soon I was tired, but I managed to get almost halfway across. I smiled in triumph. I was going to make it!

Suddenly, a pair of diamond covered legs appeared in front of me. I screamed in surprise as the log splashed underneath the water with the additional weight. We landed in the water with a splash.

Water pounded in my ears as I sank towards the bottom of the icey lake. I sent all remaining energy to my legs, and swam up, where I could see the sun penetrating the water. My head broke the surface, and I gasped in a breath of chilly air. I flipped my hair out of my face as I managed to tread water. Damn this water was cold.

I looked around, the freezing cold making me a bit groggy. I spotted the log, and quickly swam over to it.

I rested my hand on the slippery bark, gasping in huge gulps of air. It took me a few seconds to realize what just happened.

I was swimming with the log. Right. And then Ghirahim teleported on top of it, capsizing my makeshift boat.

Ghirahim. I blinked as I thought of the demon. Where was he?

I looked around, and then spotted a white blur thrashing about near the bottom of the lake. I frowned. It looked like he was struggling to swim to the surface, but that didn't make sense

I stared at him in confusion. _Why doesn't he just warp out? _Maybe he wasn't able to. Maybe he couldn't use magic in water or something. He could at least swim out, right? Or maybe he couldn't. What if he never learned to swim? Was Ghirahim drowning?

No, it was obviously just a trap. But the longer I stared at the decreasing undulations in the water where he had went under, the more I began to question myself. What if he really _was _drowning? He could be down there, dying a miserable, terrifying death.

But then again...why should I care? He was the enemy, right? I didn't need to risk my life to save his. I should keep going. But the more I thought of this, the less I was able to kid myself. If he really _was_ drowning, I couldn't just stay here watching. My moral wouldn't allow it, and I'd never forgive myself. Because...was he really the enemy? Or was the real obstacle my fatalist attitude?

The war continued to rage in my mind. One side was my instinctual will to live, while the other was the voice that always questioned the merit in my choices. I wanted to get away and live, but like a moth to the flame, part of my mind was screaming at me to get in there already. I sighed at my internal struggle. Will to live...or the stupid, risky decision? Guess which one was winning.

I turned around, climbing on top of my makeshift raft. "I must be insane," I muttered, before diving into the water.

* * *

The first thought that entered my mind when I landed in the water was: _Crap, this water is freezing! Why am I in here again? I should get out._ Then I spotted a pale figure struggling near the bottom of the lake. _Ghirahim_! My head broke the surface.

"Hang on Ghirahim, I'm coming!" I screeched before diving back under.

I dove down towards him. I knew that with my experience in band, I could probably hold my breath longer than some people, but not by much. When I finally reached the demon's side, he was barely conscious. He struggled slightly, but the fight was obviously leaving him; hopelessness taking its place. Bubbles escaped the corner of his mouth. His half-open eyes rested on my face.

I grabbed him under the arms, and tried to swim upwards, but to no avail. It was like some invisible force was holding onto him. I looked down and spotted the problem. His foot was caught by tendrils from a clump of weeds. My lungs burned, and I had to swim back to the surface. I took a gigantic gulp of air and dived back under. My chest felt like a vice was squeezing all the air from my lungs, but I knew I had to be fast, or he could suffer brain damage—or worse.

I returned to Ghirahim's side, and, without thinking, sealed my mouth to his, and blew some of my air into his lungs. Then I dove beneath him and took my knife from my boot.

I sawed the blade against the plants around his ankle. My lungs ached from lack of air. The knife was about halfway through the tendrils. Ghirahim coughed, and glistening bubbles streamed out of his mouth. His eyes rolled back in his head. Finally, after several more agonizing seconds, I heard a snap as the vines were severed.

I swam back up to him, wrapped my arms underneath his shoulders, and swam upward.

Pulling Ghirahim to the surface was probably the hardest thing I've ever done in my life so far. You know that feeling when you're swimming in deep water, and you start to run out of breath? In your desperation, you have this hurried struggle to the surface? Your whole body is tired and you are in desperate need of air, making your head hurt, even though you have only been underwater for a couple seconds. Imagine that, times a million; plus having to pull someone up with you. Imagine that person is larger than you, and limp as a corpse. Somehow, whether it was the adrenaline or determination, I managed to slowly make progress.

Finally, after what seemed like an eon, our heads broke the surface. Ghirahim's head lolled onto my shoulder limply, now fully unconscious. I struggled to keep us both afloat as my adrenaline faded.

We probably would have both drowned right then if I hadn't spotted my log a few yards away. I slowly made my way towards it, and draped my limp acquaintance onto it. I rested my head against the wood, gasping. After the brief rest, I began to slowly push the log towards the nearest bank, which, unfortunately wasn't the one with the bird statue.

My limbs fiercely ached, and my head swam as I did. I swallowed some of the cold water as I took in gasping breaths. When I reached the surface, I could barely get Ghirahim out of the log and onto the land. I fought back the weariness that fought to take a hold of me. My job wasn't over yet. I looked over at the sodden demon. He lay on the ground limply. He looked terrible. His clothes were drenched, and his abdomen was swollen with water. His skin was paler than ever, and ice-cold to the touch. And...he was unnaturally still. I approached him nervously.

_ Please don't need mouth-to-mouth. Please don't need mouth-to-mouth... _I thought as I bent down next to him.

I carefully put an ear to his chest and listened for a heartbeat. I almost sobbed with relief as I heard a dull, fluttering thump. I checked to see if he was breathing.

He wasn't.

But when I rested a hand on his chest, he was twitching. As if he was attempting to inhale, but couldn't. I carefully tilted his head to the side, and water trickled out of his mouth and nose. I swallowed. Typically I wasn't squeamish, but I felt like I was going to be sick. Ignoring the _eew_ factor, I tried to figure out what was wrong. I tilted his head back and checked for breathing again. Nothing.

"_Crap_,"I muttered. As much as Ghirahim both scared and angered me, I really didn't want him to die. I didn't know why. It was like some...force inside me was screaming at me.

_ You can't let him die!_ The voice said. _He's the one. _

_ What 'one'_? I asked back, but since the force was either my own conscience, or a figment of my drowsy imagination, it didn't bother to answer.

By now his face was an even sicker pale than usual, and his pure white lips had a bluish tint to them. If I didn't do anything, he would die of asphyxia.

I pressed my hands to his chest, and pushed down repeatedly, trying to do CPR. After a series of chest compressions, I knew what had to be done.

I bent closer to his face, and slid back his jaw. I suddenly spotted something in the back of his throat. Something long and green, just past the tongue. It looked like a plant of some kind. He must have inhaled it when he was at the bottom of the lake.

I grit my teeth, realizing what I had to do. _It's okay Marissa. You can do this. Just don't think about the grossness, a life is on the line. It's easy_—_just a big game of _Operation_. _

I took in a deep breath and reached my fingers into his mouth. Luckily I have long, skinny fingers, so besides the fact the weed was slippery, it wasn't that hard to get a grip on it.

"Eeww eww, that is _so_ gross." I cried, pulling the weed out of his windpipe. Ghirahim twitched, and then his chest heaved violently as he struggled to respirate. Suddenly, he coughed and took in a gasping breath. I sighed in relief and tossed away the weed that nearly ended his life. Exhausted, I rolled onto my back beside him as he coughed up about half the lake.

"That..._sucked_." I panted as overwhelming exhaustion took over. I knew I should probably take my leave, but I couldn't will my legs to move. Ghirahim sat up and stared straight forward, eyes wide yet unseeing, as if not comprehending what was happening. He began to cough and retch again, and spat out another mouthful or two of water. He clutched his stomach with a moan. I sat up and rubbed his back as he coughed.

To my surprise, he turned and wrapped his sodden arms around my shoulders. I could feel his chest move up and down rapidly, and his cold breaths brushed against my cheek. He shivered violently, and in sympathy and exhaustion, I hugged him back. No longer able to fight my intensely weary muscles, I leaned my head into the crook of his neck and let sleep come over me.

* * *

When I woke up, I was tired, and extremely confused. I kind of remembered the events before I passed out, but I didn't understand why I was so _warm_. I soon realized someone was holding onto me. I blinked and realized with surprise that someone was _Ghirahim_. He was holding me close to him, his chin resting on the top of my head.

I realized with embarrassment that I was hugging him back. I quickly wriggled free and stood up, trying to ignore the fact that a few seconds ago I was _cuddling_ with _Ghirahim_ . I checked the time on my iPhone. We'd been out for three hours. I realized now was as a good time as any to be on my way. I cast one last look at the unconscious noble, before meandering off into the forest.

I ran, though there was no need besides the fact that I would dry off faster. Soon I came to a stop, panting. I thought about my next move. It occurred to me that I might not actually be able to use a bird statue, even if I were to find one. In the game, when Link came across one of these structures, he could just touch the statue and a big orange laser beam thingy would lift his sailcloth and propel him upwards to the sky.

The thing was, I didn't have my sailcloth. Ghirahim had hidden it along with my other belongings. I doubted that I could get back to Skyloft without it. My only options were to wait for Link to come back here, or to try to convince Ghirahim to give me my stuff back. Neither of which was preferable. I decided to climb a tree so I could better assess my position. I approached the nearest tree and swung a leg onto the lowest branch. I hauled myself up, ignoring the protest from my sore limbs. Soon, I reached the top.

"Oh, wow". I breathed as I looked over the forest. The emerald leaves of the trees glowed golden with the saffron light, whispering to the wind. Some fell off their branches and danced off into the distance, joined by sapphire goddess butterflies fluttering just above the amber tree line.

"This is amazing!" I exclaimed to no one in particular. Faron Woods was a lot bigger than I thought. I was quite a ways from the Great Tree. I wasn't in a part of the forest that I recognized, but I had a feeling I could find my way over there, and then I would be in a more familiar part of the woods. Satisfied, I climbed down to one of the lowest branches, and jumped to the mulch covered forest floor.

One of the bushes shrieked in surprise. I blinked. It wasn't a bush, it was a _kikwi_; the mole-like creatures who use the shrub on their back as a disguise.

"Hey little guy." I said.

"Don't eat me, _kwee_!" It squeaked.

"It's okay, I'm not going to hurt you."

The little creature shakily backed up and tripped on a root. He fell backwards with a shriek. I bent down and picked the kikwi up, setting him on his feet. I knelt down so my eyes were level with his/ hers...it's?

"My name is Marissa. I don't want to harm you. Are you okay?" The kikwi blinked at me, as if sizing me up for possible threats. Then it ran forward and clutched my leg.

"You have to help me!" It squeaked.

"Why, what happened?" I asked.

"A creature has my friend Oolo and won't let him go." It wailed I blinked in surprise. Perhaps it was a monster of some sort. Well, since I have nothing else to do...

"Okay...what does it look like?"

"He's a kikwi, just like me. My name is Lopsa, _kwee_."

"No, I mean the creature."

"Oh, ok, _kee_. It looked sort of like you, except it was taller." It reported. I swallowed. It could be anyone, really. I'm not that tall.

"Ok, what else?" I asked.

"Er...it was pale and slender, with white head fur. Its outfit was covered in a weird shape. It was very scary, _kwee!_" Crap. Great, just great.

"Look, I'd like to help, I really would, but that guy is a demon, and he and I aren't exactly on good terms."

"Please! Don't let the demonses hurt my friend!" It cried. I sighed, not knowing what to do. I really wanted to get away from Ghirahim, but if he hurts that kikwi, it technically would be my fault. If I hadn't saved him, he wouldn't be able to hurt anyone. He was my responsibility now. If anyone got hurt by him, it's on me.

"Show me." I said in defeat.

* * *

**Well...what do you think? Please remember to fav/follow/review. It makes this all worth it! See you later. Catwhiskers24 out.**


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21: Kikwis Inspire Second Chances

**I'm not sure how I came up with this one. It's a bit...I don't know..._weird..._but as soon as I thought of it, I just had to incorporate it. I mean, I knew I wanted the Kikwis to come into the story at one point, but I wasn't sure how. Then this came to me, and it just kinda happened. I apologize if Ghirahim seems a bit OoC in this one, but it'll all be explained in good time. Well. Here ya go!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own LoZ, just my Oc's.**

* * *

Marissa's POV

I stared at the scene before me. At first I thought that Ghirahim was trying to strangle Oolo the kikwi, but as we approached them, I realized the big bad demon lord was sitting on a log _hugging _it and _crying. _I stopped uncertainly. I had just escaped from this guy, I didn't really want to get involved in this. Besides, this looked emotional, and I don't do emotional drama. I considered walking away before we were noticed.

"Come on, let's go. I think Oolo will be alright." I muttered to Lopsa, who was clutching the tip of my finger. The pint-sized creature was shaking with fear. He stared up at me with round eyes.

"But we can't leave him. He could be in danger, kwee," He protested. I sighed, releasing his tiny hand.

"Fine, I'll see what's going on, but for heaven's sake, stay here." I muttered.

I quietly stepped forward.

"Ghirahim?" I called uncertainly. The noble, who had his face buried into the kikwi's fur, turned away.

"Go away, Skychild," came his muffled reply. "Leave me alone. I don't feel like dealing with you right now." He sniffed. His white hair was messy as it dried in uneven clumps in the pleasant sun of Faron Woods. I rolled my eyes. What a drama queen!

"What's the matter?" I asked, surrendering to my curiosity.

"It's none of your concern!" He snapped loudly. I heaved another sigh.

"Actually, it kind of is. Your sorta crushing that poor creature. I just want to know why. And um, you kinda look pathetic." I said, shifting from foot to foot awkwardly.

"Leave me alone." He repeated. I walked forward and gripped the struggling kikwi. It squealed in protest.

"Come on man. Give. Me. The kikwi," I said, attempting to wrench it from his gloved hands. He tightened his grip, clutching the fuzzy creature closer.

"Let...go!" I said, pulling on it with all my might despite Oolo's fearful cries. "Wow, I'm fighting Ghirahim over a kikwi. What has my life come to?" I muttered to myself. Eventually, he let go, but I lost my grip as well, and Oolo was sent flying. He landed on the ground with a thump. The two kikwis staggered away, sending terrified glances over their shoulders at us. I considered following them, but resisted the urge as I felt a pang of sympathy for my old "master."

"Why are you so upset?" I demanded, stepping forward. Ghirahim buried his face in his long, thin hands. He muttered something inaudible.

"Huh?" I asked. He took in a rattling breath.

"Leave." He said suddenly.

"O...K..." I said. I turned to oblige, but he grabbed my arm.

"Stay." He said. "I'm just...I feel this... this unbearable _lonesome_ feeling

"You're _lonely_?" I scoffed, sitting next to him on the log. "You, the guy who lives in a giant manor with like a hundred servants?"

"Well I don't exactly know any of them personally," He retorted. "They work for me because they have to. I'm Demise's most important servant."

"Oh. I see." I said. His head shot up.

"No! There is no possible way you could understand my misery!" He shouted, eyes blazing with rage. Who he was directing that anger at, I wasn't sure. "Do you think any of them actually give a damn about what happens to me?" He said, voice rising. I blinked at him in shock, taken aback by his sudden anger. He continued anyway. "No! They don't! They c-couldn't care less if I was injured or-or killed. They are afraid of me." Then he burst into a pathetic bought of sobbing, returning his face to his hands. I stared at him, more confused than ever.

"I can't imagine why..." I muttered. Without turning towards me, he shoved me off the log with his right hand. I landed in the dirt with a surprised yelp.

"Sheesh. Calm down, you lunatic." I said crossly, brushing mud off my pants

"Do you _have_ to make me feel worse?" He snapped, bitterness in his voice.

"No, I guess not. But you haven't mentioned being lonely before." I said, hesitantly sitting beside him on the log once again. He shrugged.

"Companionship hasn't particularly been my top priority for the last thousand years." He mumbled. "But when you refused to aid me in battling your friend, I realized you had a true loyalty to him. I don't understand. I've never had a...friend." He continued.

"Over the past few days I've begun to enjoy your company. And you have been considerably more loyal than my other servants. You saved me from the storm. I thought I finally found someone I could trust and confide in. I thought I had someone to..." He sighed, then continued.

"But then you chose helping Link over me. It hurt. And then, what puzzles me most of all, is your little act of heroism. I threatened to kill you and you escape. And then when I follow you, I end up in the water, drowning. All I can remember is feeling some infernal vine catch on my leg, and darkness. The cold of the water, feeling I'd never breathe again. The last thing I recall is seeing you swim towards me, and your arms around me. And then I wake up on shore, safe and sound. It wasn't hard to guess what happened. But why? Why did you save me? Why, even when you knew I meant to harm you, did you spare me?" He asked. I studied my shoes. I still barely knew the answer myself.

"I guess...I just...couldn't let you die when I knew I could do something about it."

"But why? Why, when all I've done is take life, you choose to save mine? I'm so confused, I don't understand. And now this...this water is coming from my eyes! And it won't stop! Why won't it stop? Why is this happening? EXPLAIN WHAT IS HAPPENING TO ME!"

"Wait, so have you never cried before?" I asked. He stared at me.

"What do you mean _cry_?"He demanded.

"The thing you're doing right now. Those things in your eyes, they're called tears. Don't you know what crying is? You know, that thing that happens when you're really happy, sad, or angry?" I asked in curiosity.

"I know what crying is, you imbecile. But that's not possible. I haven't sobbed in decades." He said, wiping his eyes. "And now I'm crying because of _you. _ A miserable little Skyloftian. Girl, what have you done to me?"

"I don't know...I mean, I haven't truly cried in over two years. Unless you count when I've laughed so hard I've cried, which is like every day at high school." I admitted.

"How do you cry laughing? I've never laughed that hard." He stated, a curious tone in his voice.

"Well that's 'cause all the laughing you do is like evil, menacing laughter to freak your enemies out. When I laugh, it's because something funny happens or is said. I find just about anything funny. So if its averagely funny, I just chuckle a bit. But with my friends, it doesn't take long until your sides start to hurt, you can barely breathe, and your eyes start to water." I explained.

Ghirahim gave me an odd look.

"That sounds quite unpleasant." He stated. I shook my head.

"No, it's great. Those are like the best times. Like when I'm hanging out with Allison, Autumn, Katie, and Moraa, things can get pretty crazy. Like this one time Katie's boyfriend called her cellphone and then Autumn answered and is like 'Hey babe!' And they had this whole conversation and then...oh my gosh I could've died of laughter!" I grinned just recalling the memory. I quick covered my mouth. Why was I telling Ghirahim about my social life? And why did I mention the cell phone? I'm so stupid! But I had no reason to worry. He didn't seem to have noticed that part.

"Almost _died_? This sounds dangerous!" He exclaimed, his dejection temporarily forgotten.

"No, no I'm just kidding! My point is... OK, now I've lost my train of thought. What were we talking about?" He frowned.

"I can't remember..." Ghirahim muttered.

"Oh, you were just talking about how you were sad 'cause you don't have any friends." He looked crestfallen.

"Ah, yes. That's right." He sighed.

"Are you sure you don't have any friends, any at all?" I asked. He hesitated.

"No, I only have Demise." He answered. I stared at the ground, unsure of what to do. It was easy enough to argue with Ghirahim, but to comfort him...I just couldn't find the right words. I decided I should just let him cool off on his own.

"Well, sorry. As much as I'd _love _to have a little heart-to-heart chat with you, I think I should be getting on my way. Heroes to help, goddesses to save." I said, standing up. He reached out, grabbing my arm, which caused me to jump.

"Stay," He insisted "I haven't dismissed you, _servant_." I whipped around.

"See! This is why you don't have any friends! You're a jerk! I saved your life, and tried to cheer you up, but you still are just treating me like I'm just some inferior creature. Have fun wallowing in misery. I'm leaving!" I yanked my arm from his grasp and stormed away, down the nearest trail. I heard him begin to sob once more.

"Crying isn't gonna work!" I called over my shoulder, though I felt my feet become heavy, itching to turn around. Maybe I was being a bit harsh. Maybe if I stayed a little longer, he'd calm down and I wouldn't have this guilty knot in my stomach. I returned to the depressed demon.

"What is your _problem_?" I said approaching him.

"I don't know!" He wailed his fingers creating claws over his face. "I just have so many feelings!" I threw up inside a little bit. Great. More feelings.

The demon hung his head. "Maybe you're right. Maybe I am a jerk." He admitted. He slumped forward, slowly tipping off the log and face-planting in the dirt. I fought back a laugh as I stared at him, completely weirded-out at this point. I stared at him for a while. Then I poked him in the back. He didn't move. I did it again. He just groaned.

"Hey Ghiri?" I asked.

"Leave me. I wish to sit here, rotting like a festering wound in my wretched sorrow." I waited for a few minutes, and then I got bored.

"Ghira-to-the-him? Can you get up now? This is getting kind of annoying." I bent down next to him. "Rotting might hurt a little."

"Good. I would relish some physical anguish to divert my attention from my grief."

"Oh. So, you're sadistic _and_ a masochist, then. Do you want me to kick you?"

"No." He said.

"Can you get up now, then?"I asked, not particularly wanting to leave him sprawled on the ground like this. I reached over and poked him on the nose. He didn't do anything. I repeated the action over and over, hoping to annoy him enough to get up.

"Wow. You're really something." I said, frustrated

"You're annoying." He retorted.

"Why, thank-you. I try." I said.

"I don't like you." He said. This caught me off guard a bit. I thought he at least tolerated me. Especially after saving his life. I mean come on, a girl's gotta get points for that, right? Wait. I just realized something. I don't care. But still...

"Oh come on, I know you just feel down. But get up. Seriously."

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Well then I guess I'll leave." I said. I stood up, whistling, and stepped over him. He grabbed my leg.

"What the? Get off!" I exclaimed.

"Don't leave."

"I'm going to."

"I _command_ you to stay here."

"Mmm don't care." I said, freeing my leg from his grasp.

"STOP!" He shouted.

I bent down once again, and nudged him in the side. He rolled his head over to look at me.

"Stop looking at me like that." He growled.

"Like what?"

"Like...that! Stop staring at me with those big blue eyes of yours!" He snapped. "And stop smiling! It makes me so...so FURIOUS!"

"Why?" I asked, batting my eyelashes.

"Because then I think of that...that _boy, _and I feel furious! How could you betray me?" He wailed.

"You're acting like a jealous little kid." I said.

"I'm no child." He snarled. "And I feel no envy whatsoever. I despise you!"

"Mhm. Right. You know, if you like—"

"Stop this! I HATE YOU!" He shouted.

I stuck out my lower lip as if I were sad. Then I stood up with a shrug.

"M'kay." I said lightly, and them walked away jauntily, with my hands in my pockets. To be honest, I had no idea what I was doing, or if I liked it. I kind of did. And I kind of hated it too.

Ghirahim lunged for my ankle, and clasped my shoe. I started to walk away, dragging him along with me. His grip tightened on my ankle. Okay, yeah, this was weird. Even for him. Talk about bipolar. I mean, we'd talked about it a bit in school, but I never expected it could be this...spazzy. I didn't think it possible.

"Ghirahim..."

"I didn't mean it!" He wailed.

"Ghirahim, come on, this is embarrassing. You are a grown man, you're not supposed to just sit around, having a temper tantrum like a little girl!" I said impatiently.

"I'M NOT A KID." He snapped. He slowly released my foot and got to his feet. He cleared his throat. "Actually, I'm technically about as grown up as an eighteen year old. Demise froze my aging process so I could stay young and strong." He informed me.

"Wait, so you expect me to believe you are like a _teenager_? No way. You are at least twenty or thirty. I mean, look at your white hair, pale complexion, long tongue. No way are you an eighteen year old." I said in disbelief.

"Demons look different than humans, you little _twit_!" He snapped.

"Fine, if you're going to be like that, then you can cry by yourself." I huffed.

"No, please stay with me," he begged.

"It's okay." I said, exhausted. As I stared at him, I realized that besides his odd coloration, there wasn't much evidence that he was much older than me. Not a line or crease crossed his face. And his hair looked different than if it was white due to age. It wasn't as thin and frizzy. It was like anyone else's, just white.

"You know," he stared at his feet "I'm actually part albino." He confessed. "That's why I look so...different."

"Oh." Was all I said. I decided to change the subject. "Why were you attacking that kikwi?"

"I wasn't 'attacking' it. I simply found that holding it made me feel better."

"You mean like a hug?" I asked. Ghirahim stared at me blankly. Then he nodded slowl.

"So that's what a 'hug' is. What you don't understand is that I didn't grow up with a family, much less parents. The only one I've ever had is Demise, and he wasn't exactly a nurturing caretaker. He preferred hurting me to helping me. I've always only been a servant to him. A tool, nothing more." He said, with a trace of bitterness in his voice.

"Wow. This is getting depressing." I said honestly, feeling true sympathy for him now. "Someone had a happy childhood. No wonder you're like..." I gestured to him "...this." He glared at me.

"Are you planning on sitting here, criticizing me all day?" He asked dryly. I jumped up.

"No, of course not. Stand up." Ghirahim slowly got to his feet. I knew what I had to do. I wasn't much of a hugger (or physical contact at all for that matter), but I had a sinking suspicion that it was the right thing to do. I would've preferred just about anything else, but I guess it wouldn't be that bad.

"Come here." I said. He stared at me. I rolled my eyes. "Oh Ghirahim, come on. Bring it in." I motioned towards him with my hands. He just stood there. With a huff, I walked over to him, and wrapped my arms around his neck. He tensed, and then leaned against me, ever so slightly.

"See?" I asked.

"Yes, I think I remember now. It's just been so long since Demise forced me

to be his servant, that I can't recall much before then." I patted him on the back gently. Then he began to shake with choked sobs.

"Who knew pain wasn't just physical? It hurts!" He sobbed into my shoulder. I felt guilt. Whether it was me alone or with a series of events, I had really hurt him. I think. In fact, I may have more or less broken his heart.

Nah.

I rocked him back and forth anyway. "It's okay. Just let it out." I guess even demon lords needed a good cry once in a while. He calmed down and clung to me tightly. It was actually kind of nice. Ghirahim was warm and smelled kind of...good. His shirt had that warm scent of clothes fresh out of the dryer. He himself smelled...I don't know. I can't describe it. Some kind of cologne that wasn't like others, in that it wasn't so strong that I wanted to vomit and was how all colognes should smell like.

The awkward hug lasted for a few more seconds, before I pulled away. That was about as much emotional talk I could take at one time.

"Are you good? Can I leave now?" I asked, carefully walking backwards, toward the forest.

"Wait!" He called. I suppressed a sigh of frustration.

"Look, I'm not your servant anymore. In fact, I never was in the first place. Just—"

"I was just wondering if you would like to..." He trailed off "...go on a walk with me?"

I stared at him in surprise.

"Excuse me?"

"Come on a walk with me." He repeated. I hesitated.

"What are you playing at?" I asked suspiciously. He shrugged.

"I thought I could show you around the other two parts of the Surface, as you've never seen Lanayru Desert or Eldin Volcano. I could give you a tour." I opened my mouth to protest that I had been to both places in the game, and knew my way around both of them pretty well, but I stopped myself. As far as he knew, I was just a normal Skyloftian, not from a different dimension where his world and life was a game focused on his enemy. I definitely didn't want to give my secret away. I settled for politely turning him down.

"Sorry, but as _pleasant_ as that sounds, I should really be going." I said, continuing to back away.

"Oh Skychild, it would be so nice if you were to join me. It would really distract me from my loneliness...and the Spirit Maiden." I grit my teeth. He was clever. I didn't want to be near him any more than I have to, but I didn't want Zelda or Link to be in danger either.

"Fine. I'll go on a _short_ walk. But on one condition: you let me leave as soon as it is over. Plus, you have to stay at least three feet away from me at all times. No creepy comments or gestures, either. You'd better not try anything." I said stiffly. Ghirahim bared his teeth in a dangerous smile, showing white lips, and teeth that were just slightly sharper than a human's.

"As you wish, your _majesty_." He said with a mocking bow, bending so low that his red cape brushed the ground. With a snap of his fingers, he warped away in a flash of white and red diamonds. I looked around.

"Where the...?" I muttered in frustration. Ghirahim reappeared a few feet down the trail in front of me.

"Come, Skychild. What are you waiting for? The sun won't shine forever, you know. Unless you want to walk with me at night." He said with a smirk, the flamboyant vigor back in his voice. I hesitated before following him.

"There aren't mosquitoes out here, are there?" I asked, as it would be just my luck for the pesky creatures to make this even more miserable.

Ghirahim stared at me. "What in Din's name are _mosquitoes_? He asked with a puzzled expression.

"Um, they're these flying insects that bite you and suck your blood." I explained.

"No, there's nothing like that here in Faron Woods." He assured me. "I mean, besides we demons, anyway."

I gave him a disgusted look. I couldn't believe I was doing this. I must be insane. His smirk widened at my discomfort.

"I'm only teasing, of course." He said, walking forward down the trail. I let out a breath of relief.

"Mostly." He added. I stiffened. _This is a bad idea. A really, really, horrible, stupid, brain-dead idea. _I told myself.

"Fabulous," I muttered, reluctantly following him anyway. "Just fabulous."

* * *

**How will this all play out? Find out next time, on a Different Path.**

**Please remember to leave me a review if you can. Favs and Follows are also always appreciated.**


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 21: A Nice, Peaceful Stroll Through the Woods

**Hey guys! I'm back! Sorry this took so long, but I've been busy. Finals and everything, you know. The usual. Anyway, this was a bit harder to write because i just had the concept. I had to write most of it from scratch. Well, here you go. Enjoy :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own LoZ, just my OC's and Plot Twists.**

* * *

Ghirahim's POV

I led the way down the path into the forest. I could tell the girl was following me by the sound of her crashing through the undergrowth. She really was clumsy.

Soon, she had caught up with me, though I noticed that she made sure to distance herself from me at her required interval.

She stared forward, looking at the trees around her. I noticed that she refused to meet my gaze. This puzzled me. First she seems to be on my side. Then she stabs me, and then she decides to stop me from drowning.

I looked at her. She glanced at me, and then her face flushed as she realized I was staring at her.

Another thing to add to the list of things I didn't understand about this woman: One moment, she fearlessly glares into my face, and the next she can barely even meet my eyes. It was like she was conflicted between being shy and defiant; between being kind and aloof. I shook my head.

"What?" She asked. _So she talks... _I thought privately.

"Nothing." I muttered.

"'Kay." She said. "Doesn't matter to me."

I felt a flicker of annoyance at her apparent apathy.

"Why ask if you don't care?" I asked. She shrugged.

"I don't know. Force of habit, I suppose." She answered.

I laughed at her. "That's got to be one of the most ridiculous reasons I've ever heard." I commented. She shrugs.

"Ridiculous..." She echoed. "Like...say, trying to swallow a piece of seaweed whole while underwater?"

I glared at her.

"Sure." I muttered. I sped up. Then I glanced at the ground briefly. "About what happened back there...let's never speak of it again, agreed?" I asked.

"You mean me saving you? Or your little temper _tan-ter-um_?" She asked, twitching an eyebrow.

"Both!" I snapped. Then I glared at her. "And it wasn't a tantrum. I was simply...struggling to express my emotions." I said.

"Hmm." She said. "Never thought I'd see the day where you, _Ghirahim, _would struggle to show your emotions."

I felt a flicker of annoyance. She was acting as if she knew me like an old friend. And she didn't. Not in the slightest.

"And why would you say that?" I asked.

"Because," She said, turning to face me. "You're...you! Mr. Broadway Show. You seem to have no trouble expressing yourself. You ooze overconfidence."

I stared at her. The way she talked made it sound like she'd known me for much longer than just a few days. Perhaps there was more to this curious Little Remlit than it seemed.

"Looks can be deceiving." I replied. She shrugged and then nodded.

"Yeah. I guess so." Neither of us pressed the subject any further. At least, _I _didn't.

"But...just out of curiosity...why _were _you so upset?" She asked. I shrugged. I couldn't explain much of how I felt anymore.

"I suppose...I was just confused." I admitted. "And, I'm not thrilled by the fact that I was saved by my _servant_ of anyone else. I don't want to...owe you!" I said. That was it. Every fiber in my being was against having any debt to this inferior girl. It felt wrong to have needed help from her. A noble is supposed to protect his subjects, not the other way around. She had come to my rescue, and therefore I despised her for it.

She cocked her head, staring at me in utter bewilderment.

"What do you mean, 'owe me'?" She asked.

"You saved me from drowning. Therefore, I hate to admit it, but I now owe you my life." I growled bitterly. The daftness of this girl was staggering. Didn't she even grasp a faint concept of the idea of honor?

She was quiet after my comment. We continued to walk with the thick silence hanging in the air.

I looked over at the girl. She was walking more confidently now. I watched her briefly, noticing that the strands of her ruined ponytail were hanging over her shoulders like the legs of some kind of large insect. Grinning, I got an idea.

"There's a skulltula on your shoulder." I said casually.

"_What?_"She stiffened, her shoulders immediately tensing up. The action caused her hair to brush against her neck. Already startled, she screamed, and buckled, rapidly brushing off her shoulder. Her eyes were screwed up as if something absolutely vile was sliding down her skin.

"GET IT OFF GET IT OFF!" She shrieked. I laughed, and her head snapped up to glare at me.

"Hey! That wasn't funny!" She protested, face turning red with embarrassment.

"On the contrary, Sky Child, it was _quite _amusing." I said. She rolled her eyes, but I swore I saw a ghost of a smile on her face.

"Oh, shut up." She muttered.

"So. Spiders." I said after a few minutes. "Why do they terrify you so much?"

She shrugged, and jumped on top of a fallen log.

"I don't know." She said, balancing precariously on the smooth surface. "I guess they just seem unnatural. I mean, something about there wiry, hair-like legs is _super _freaky." I shrugged. Then she glanced around. "Besides, when I was a little kid, I saw one on the side of my house that was almost the size of my palm. They've been terrifying to me ever since."

I laughed loudly, making her stare at me in confusion.

"The size of your _palm_? Trust me, Servant, they come _much _bigger here." I said. I didn't know where exactly in the sky she came from, but I suppose Hylia _would_ protect her underlings from most of the beasts found under the cloud barrier. Hence the point of a floating city, I suppose.

"I noticed." She said dryly. Then she glanced down at me. "If my fear is so ridiculous, then what's the grand back story of your fear of water?" She asked. I furrowed my brow.

"Is it that unreasonable to fear drowning when I never learned to swim?" I asked. There were other reasons behind my fears of course, but I wasn't quite ready to open up to her about them yet.

It was her turn to laugh. Then she blinked at me. "Wait, you're serious?" She asked.

I nodded.

"Of course. Dem—my master, didn't find it necessary to teach me." She looked at me with what almost seemed to be compassion.

"Well, I'd say you might wanna learn. It's kind of a good skill to have." She said, carefully walking across the slippery wood, holding out her arms to stay steady. "That way, you won't end up looking stupid aga—" She was cut off mid sentence as she slipped, losing her balance. She tumbled off the log, and I had to steady her before she knocked us both down.

"Careful." I growled.

"Thanks." She gasped, staring up at me wide eyed. She smiled lightly and then took a step back, laughing nervously.

I rolled my eyes at her childish clumsiness before stopping.

"Perhaps we should continue to Eldin Volcano. I muttered.

"Maybe that would be best." The servant agreed.

I held out an arm. She scowled, before lightly touching her pointer finger to my wrist. With an amused smile, I teleported us both to the fiery mountain.

* * *

"Whoa. Dude, that's cool!" She exclaimed, staring at the peak of the volcano in awe. A purple-gray haze arose from the mouth of the mountain, staining the sickly yellow of the sky. The clouds hanging above the earth had a black tinge to them, as if they were covered in ash.

I frowned. Rarely did I see the volcano like this. I pushed the thought away, determined to continue with my tour.

"This, as you may have guessed, is known as Eldin Volcano." I explained.

"It's enormous." She breathed.

"Indeed." I agreed.

I led her up the slope, pausing every once in a while as she stopped to take in the surroundings.

As we progressed, my feeling of dread grew in the pit of my stomach. The powdery orange igneous rock mixed in with the cliff seemed to be heating up. I considered mentioning this to the servant, but I hesitated. She would surely accuse me of imagining things.

We continued to climb the rocky mountain. I was starting to thing that I was just paranoid, when the ground began to shake. I stiffened at a deafening roar coming from the summit.

"No. Not today." I muttered in disbelief.

"Hey Ghirahim?" The servant girl called.

"Yes?" I asked, staring in horror at the ground. _What now? _How could so many things go wrong on the same day?

"Is the volcano _supposed_ to be giving off that much smoke?" She asked. I whipped around.

My eyes grew twice their size. The volcano was rumbling like a ravenous beast. Smoke billowed out of its gaping maw, like the jaws of a monstrous beast. Then, a flood of a ash filled the air, and I glimpsed an amber wave creeping down the summit.

* * *

Marissa's POV

"Run!" Ghirahim shouted, grabbing my arm. I could barely get my leaden legs to move as I stared at the wave of liquid fire tumbling down the volcano. An eruption. What are the odds?

Ghirahim jolted me out of my stunned stupor, half dragging me down the slope with him.

Ash filled the air, and its acrid taste bathed my tongue. My sides were burning, and my throat felt like rough sandpaper, but I was able to keep up with Ghirahim for a bit.

However, the demon was much faster than I was, and I was soon struggling to keep up.

"Faster!" He begged, trying to nudge me forward. I sneezed, eyes watering.

"I'm trying!" I shouted back.

"Try harder!" He snapped. "We are both going to be burned alive!"

"Ugh, you are _so _lucky I don't have asthma!" I shot back.

I ran until my legs were about to give out. Then I turned desperately to Ghirahim.

"Warp us out!" I shouted, taking his hand. He nodded, and did his usual snap to teleport us away.

Nothing happened.

"Hurry!" I shouted. We had passed several turns and were approaching a sheer cliff.

"It's not working!" He exclaimed.

"_Why not_?" I screamed, nearly hysterical.

"It's hard to use magic when you're nervous!" He shouted.

"Well calm down!" I shot back.

"I'M TRYING!" He exclaimed, definitely _not _calmly.

"WE ARE GOING TO DIE!" I screamed. "GHIRAHIM?"

He looked up. The cliff was coming towards us at an alarming rate, the lava hot on our tail.

"I can see land across the pit. We'll have to jump." He said.

"ARE YOU INSANE?" I screeched. "I can't jump that far! We'll never make it!" I exclaimed. The gap was at least twice as long as I was tall, and I was willing to bet a thousand rupees that there was lava at the bottom. Even if we would survive the fall (which we probably wouldn't), we'd be burned alive. And I wasn't crazy about taking a bath in hot lava.

"Ghirahim?" I said nervously, tripping over my own feet. He was slowing down. I soon passed him, looking back in confusion. Why would he stop?

Suddenly, he came up behind me, and in one fluid movement, scooped me into his arms; bridal-style.

"Hey! Put me _down_! What are you—" my protest turned into a scream as he leaped. I closed my eyes, prepared to feel my flesh burning away in a pool of hot death. The wind screamed across my face, making my eyes blur with water. I braced myself, waiting to become Marissa Crispies.

Instead, I felt him release me mid-air. I landed on something solid with an 'oof!'

I arched my back, winded. With a groan, I sat up, blinking ash and soot out of my eyes. The lava poured off the edge of the cliff on which we'd just been standing. Beyond that, the volcano belched gray-and-black smoke into the light yellow sky. There was one thing, however I did not see.

"Ghirahim?" I called.

I was answered by an irritated groan. My head spun to face the direction of the noise. I spotted one torn glove clinging to the cliff-face.

I ran to the edge of the rocky outcrop. As I approached, I saw Ghirahim's elbow appear next to his hand. Then the demon slowly pulled himself up, cursing like a sailor. He collapsed a few feet away, catching his breath. His right sleeve was torn, and his left glove was split at the middle of the palm, tearing all the way to the tip of his pointer finger, and showing the dusty, pale skin underneath. The fabric on his right knee was torn, and blood slowly oozed out of an angry red scrape.

"You okay?" I asked. He nodded a curt affirmative. I noticed a lock of hair smoking a bit. Just as I was about to tell him, the spark sizzled down, leaving a gray scorch mark on his bangs. It was glaringly obvious against his white hair.

"Well..." I said. "...I guess now I can strike outrunning lava off the ol' Bucket List."

He sighed in exasperation. "In my defense, I wasn't expecting the volcano to erupt."

"I'd hope not. Anyway, what do you say we blow this Popsicle stand before _we _blow up?"

Ghirahim rolled his eyes at my terrible pun, and then nodded. I took his arm, and we left the midst of disaster to arrive at the threshold of chaos.

* * *

Our short trip to Lanayru was slightly less eventful. Unless you count my foot getting stuck in a pit of quicksand. _Then_ I guess you could consider the trip exciting. But that's a story for another day.

We stumbled through the forest, exhausted to no ends. My clothes were covered in sand, and I smelled like moblin drool (again, long story.)

Ghirahim's skin was a bit red. Sunburn maybe? That ought to look interesting when he takes off his diamond stencil. I almost wondered what that looked like. Then, I quickly pushed the thought away. I really did _not _need that image.

Other than that, he was no less rugged than he was after we left the volcano. His leg had stopped bleeding, and was now a crusted over with a brown-tinted burgundy scab.

We walked for a while. The mood almost seemed lighter since we had left the volcano. I had even laughed at a few of his smart remarks. Now, a less icy silence hung over our shoulders. I smiled a bit. Then the smile died on my lips. I was with the _enemy. _I shouldn't be having fun!

I looked towards the horizon, over the tree-tops. The sunset bathed the forest in a blend of light orange and pink. The sun had almost completed its descent. That meant we were almost done.

"Hey. The sun's going down. I should get going." I said out loud.

The small smile Ghirahim had been wearing for the last few minutes vanished.

"But, My Remlit...I thought you were enjoying my company?" Ghirahim said, sounding a bit hurt.

"I..." I backed up. Truthfully, I actually kind of was, but I wasn't sure why. This was just so..._weird!_ I didn't understand much of what was happening. All I knew was that I was spending _quality _time with _Ghirahim; _the mentally unstable laughingstock of my family. I shouldn't be liking this. But then, when he smiled at me, it was almost nice. And the way he walked around confidently was almost something to admire. I mean, so many people don't know who they really are anymore.

But Ghirahim did. He knew _exactly _who he was. I could tell by the way he walked, by the way he talked, and by the way he didn't flinch with eye contact like I did half the time. I may not understand him, but he didn't care what I thought. While I should find that annoying, I ended up finding it kind of cool. Weird. But cool.

And yet...I knew the longer I stayed with him, the more things could go wrong. I knew it whould probably be best to quit while I was ahead.

I backed up a little farther, feeling the branch of a nearby bush brush up against my shoulder.

"I really have to leave." I said. "I went on the walk, so now you have to let me go. We made a deal."

Ghirahim's black eyes smoldered into my face. "But...my servant..." He protested. "How are you to get back to your precious island when you lack your belongings?"

I cursed. I hadn't thought of that.

"Could you _please _just do me a favor and give me my stuff back?" I asked. "I did save your life, you know."

Ghirahim's eyes narrowed. I'd definitely lost some brownie points for using that against him. I hadn't wanted to, either. It seemed like an awfully underhanded thing to do. I did feel bad for bringing this up, but I really had no choice.

"And I saved yours. I helped you escape the lava." Ghirahim countered. "A life for a life. Now we are even. I do not owe you anything."

"That wasn't saving me!" I protested. "I could've escaped on my own. Besides, it's your fault we were there in the first place! And as long as we are keeping score, remember when I warned you about the tornado? I think that makes us 2-1 at _least._"

Ghirahim scowled at me, the icy chill back in his gaze. "Why you insolent little..." He growled, starting towards me. Then, his eyes suddenly widened.

"Don't. Move." He said in a low voice, his face even more pale then usual.

Still annoyed, I ignored him.

"No! I don't know what—" I cut off as I felt a shiver run through me. The hair stood up on the back of my neck.

"There's an extremely venomous skulltula on your shoulder," Ghirahim warned. "Make no sudden movements."

Panic shot through me. Then I realized in must just be another one of his pranks.

"Yeah, right." I said with a scowl. "I'm not falling for _that one_ again. Haven't you ever heard of the boy who cried—"

That's when I saw it. Out of the corner of my eyes, I glimpsed a long, hairy black leg on my shoulder. A spider the size of a small saucer was creeping across my exposed shoulder.

I screamed—or well, squeaked more like—and stiffened. I felt the arachnid brush up against the corner of my chin. The skull-shaped shell on its back was as cold as ice and as hard as steel.

"Don't panic. That will just startle it. Be very still, and I will try to knock it off your shoulder." My companion commanded.

Ghirahim raised a hand, and I noticed he was shaking a bit himself. That was _not _a good sign. I shivered once again as the spider's legs clung to the skin in the crook of my neck.

"I will send a knife at the spider once it stops moving." Ghirahim said, his voice tight.

I tried to agree, but no sound came out of my mouth. Just an odd whine.

A few knives appeared in front of his hand. I held very still. I would have to trust him. For some reason, that wasn't quite as hard as I thought.

With a snap, Ghirahim sent a knife at the spider. It struck the creature in the head, narrowly missing my cheek.

I sighed in relief. There was no way it would've survived that, right? I was answered with a sharp pinch on the side of my neck.

"Ouch." I muttered. Ghirahim's eyes grew wide, and he sent three more knives at the arachnid. The skultulla fell to the ground with a whistling screech.

I stumbled around, disoriented. The world seemed to be spinning around me. I felt a fleeting, light-headed sensation. My fingertips tingled. They felt like a million needles were stabbing them at once. The feeling spread throughout my arms and legs, creeping up my spine.

"Sky Child?" Ghirahim called, almost sounding nervous.

"Mhmm?" I asked. I felt a warm, wet sensation around my shoulder. Oh. It was blood. How nice.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"Yeah. I'm just, _PEACHY!"_ I exclaimed. My shoulder felt like it had swollen to twice its size, with a flaming pool ball rolling around inside.

I couldn't tell, because my vision was growing light at the edges. White bursts tainted my vision like snow on a window. They seemed to shine bright, like burning balls of fire.

"Ohhh..._pretty stars!_" I exclaimed.

"Sky..." Whatever he was about to say was drowned out by a loud ringing in my ears. It sounded like bells. I wondered if I was back in band, where we played _Carol of the Bells_ last year. Man I loved that song. I missed band last year. I missed goofing off with Derek, squeaking instead of playing, just to mess with our instructor. Ahh...Such pretty music...

"Hey Derek!" I said. "Look at the pretty...stars..."

I saw whoever was with me speed forward, but the movement didn't register as the ground came rushing up to meet me.

* * *

**Ahh...cliffhangers. Fun. Anyway, for the record, the next few chapters should have less of them. So, muchas gracias for all the reviews and follows. It always brightens my day! Keep it up! Well, see you later!**


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 22: Fun With Hallucinations**

**Hi guys! It'a been a while. Studying for finals is the worst, but I decided to take some time out of my busy schedule to update. I guess I kind of owe you loyal readers for my last evil cliffhanger. That was mean. Oops. Moving on, I should warn you that this chapter is definitely T for some torture and violence. Besides that, here's a new chapter to distract you from the impending doom of finals. **

**Disclaimer: No, as cool as it would be to own LOZ, I do not. LoZ and it's affiliated characters and settings are property of Nintendo. All i have are my OC's and plot twists. **

* * *

**Marissa's POV**

My head felt like it was being crushed by a small rhinoceros. My shoulder felt like it was being stung by an eagle-sized wasp. My right wrist felt like a floppy tube of ice, while the other one tingled to the point of torture. And don't even get me _started_ on my sick sensation of vertigo. For all of you out there intending to take a stroll in Faron Woods, do _not _get bitten by a skulltula. It's not fun. Trust me.

When I opened my eyes, I was blinded by a bright yellow light. As my eyes adjusted, they managed to discern a few details in my surroundings. I was standing in a blindingly gold court room. Silver pillars seemed to stretch upward for eternity. A small throne sat in the back of the room, intricately etched with leaf patterns. To the right stood a grand harp. It glowed with a mysterious light. On the base, just below the longest strings were the four triangles that made up the Triforce. Three had the same aurous glow as the rest of the room. The middle triangle was a carmel-brown.

The walls and ceiling blended together, almost looking transparent. They seemed to form a perfect, saffron sky.

I opened my mouth. Where was I? Was I dead?

"Welcome, child." I whipped around at a musical, feminine voice. It seemed almost familiar. My eyes fell upon a tall woman, glowing golden in the light of the room. She was taller than any mortal woman, though she was incredibly lean. Her fair skin was flawless, almost seeming lustrous as well. She was adorned in a simple white dress, with only a small, golden belt around her waist. She wore pale blue sandals, and small ornaments wrapped around her shining blonde hair in the same color. Her deity-like appearance was finished by a small gold tiara balanced neatly on the crown of her head.

"Um...who are you?" I asked, struck dumb.

"I am the goddess who presides over this world. Many mortals know me as Hylia." She said. My eyes grew twice their size.

"H-Hylia? B-But...Zelda...mortal...wait, wha'?" I asked. Questions mixed in my mind, bubbling out of my mouth way too fast. I took a deep breath. "If you're Hylia, then who's Zelda?" I asked.

Hylia grimaced, twisting a golden ring on her finger.

"I know you will have a lot of questions. I suppose that is to be expected when something like this happens. No matter, I will explain." She looked at the transparent ceiling.

"You must be confused. I shall tell you the whole story." She looked upward, closing her electric cobalt eyes. "Where to begin...?"

"You come from another dimension as you may have guessed. And now you're here, in the dimension that looks so much like the game you know so well..." She said. "But this is not a game. You know the Tale of the Hero, I presume?" She asked. I nodded. "Excellent. What you do not know however, is that it is not a tale. Hundreds of years ago, on that fateful day, I did indeed imprison Demise. But it was a long, costly process.

"You see, this world was created by three golden goddesses. Nayru, the goddess of wisdom, Farore, the goddess of courage, and Din, the goddess of power. Din created the land. Farore created the inhabitants of all realms. And Nayru established order of the life and land. Together, they created one last divine power. The Triforce. Legend has it that the Triforce will fulfill any wish of the one who controls it. This, as you may have guessed, created an unstoppable force. To avoid any one being from possessing too much power, the Goddesses prevented any deity from being able to use it. Upon leaving this world, they left the Triforce under my protection."

"Whoa..." I said. Everything was starting to make sense.

Hylia stared off into the distance, a far away look in her eyes.

"Many years ago, the demon tribe, led by their king, Demise, tried to take the power of the Triforce for themselves. But that could not happen. Every tribe on the surface fought back. Thus began the Ancient Battle. Hundreds of humans and other peoples died during the first few battles. So, desperate, I sent the remaining humans into the sky on a chunk of land you know as Skyloft. I stayed behind with all the remaining tribes. The war continued for years. There is nothing that could make up for the loss both sides suffered over the years.

"Eventually, however, our side prevailed in sealing Demise away. But it was a weak seal. One that I knew would break eventually. We had to destroy him in order to protect future generations. However, Demise has always been a most powerful foe. He would not be easy to destroy. I had only one choice. I was forced to use the Triforce that I was sworn to protect." She said, in a voice filled with strain. Her eyes clouded with grief.

"Alas, the Triforce can only be controlled by a mortal. No goddess may use its power. My plan failed, and Demise remained alive. Imprisoned, yes, but still alive." She said, bowing her head.

"I had one last option. Desperate, I shed my Divinity, and faded from this world so that one day I may be reborn as a mortal. And that day has come. I live on in the simple schoolgirl you know as Zelda." Hylia finished. I stared at her. I already knew most of this, but now all the missing pieces were finally falling into place. However, there was still one thing about her story that I did not understand.

"If Hyl—you—are living on as Zelda, then how are you talking to me?" I asked.

Hylia attempted a lopsided smile. "You are right in that one being cannot exist in two places at once. However, being a goddess does have its benefits. While I may not truly reside both here and in a mortal's body, I may still visit my subjects in special circumstances." She said.

"What do you mean, 'special circumstances'?" I asked in bewilderment.

"You realize, child that you are here in a similar way that I am. You did not truly think that you were really in such a divine room, did you?" She asked.

"I...I don't know." I said. "I wasn't sure."

Hylia smiled and shook her head.

"No. Like me, only a fraction of your subconsciousness is here." Hylia explained. "At the moment, my physical form, Zelda, is resting. She can sleep soundly with my ever-faithful assistant, Impa, looking after her. When she wakes, she will not remember this conference. As for you..." An amused look crossed her face.

"What? Am I asleep, too? Is this a dream?" I asked. I couldn't remember falling asleep, but then again, my recent memories were a bit of a blur

"Of sorts." She answered. "You are safe. For the most part anyway." She answered.

"What? Don't tell me Ghirahim still has me!" I exclaimed in horror. Hylia's eyes narrowed.

"I would not have such a negative attitude towards him. Give him a chance. Like I told you earlier, he's the one. He's your destiny." She said calmly.

"_Destiny?_ As in, like, _the one_? NO! You can't be serious. That is so gross!" I exclaimed hysterically, my cheeks feeling abnormally warm.

"No. I mean, he's the reason you are here. In case you have not already guessed, you are destined to protect him." Hylia said. "As for a romantic 'one', that is not what I meant. Even so, perhaps if you look at him in a different light, you may realize he's different than you originally thought." She said with a hint of amusement glittering in her eyes.

"No! He's like...a gillian years older than me!" I said, probably sounding like an embarrassed six-year-old freaking out about the suggestion of liking a boy a grade ahead.

"He has been around since the first war. But part of being Demise's sword entitles him to be nearly immortal. He does not age like a normal mortal. He became Demise's sword at an age not much greater than your own. While he may seem much older, he is hardly more physically mature than Link or the other demon you've taken a liking to. It may be hard to believe, but in order for us to succeed, it is imperative that you trust me. Even about something as surprising as this. Similarly, you must also come to trust him as well." Hylia went on.

"How can I trust him when I can barely even stand him? He's evil!" I exclaimed..

Hylia shook her head.

"No. Not evil." Hylia said. "His actions may be vile on occasion, but no matter what he says, he is not a bad person. When Demise forced Ghirahim to become his servant, he abducted him from a small village in his realm. Demise forced him to become like this. He forced Ghirahim to become a weapon. Between intense training and inhumane punishments and beatings, he has numbed his servant to pain and suffering. The poor boy was forced on too many occasions to choose between his life and the right thing. Through this, his heart has been hardened from feeling anything good or of the right merit. Kindness, compassion, mercy...love. He feels nothing." Hylia explained. "That's what makes him dangerous. He's as cold as the metal of his sword form. And that's how Demise wants him to stay." Hylia explained.

I stared at my feet. "I still don't understand how that involves me." I mumbled.

Hylia nodded. "Allow me to explain. You see, several decades ago, I understood that this time was coming. However, I doubted the good side would succeed. You know from your game that it is a challenge to get through this journey in a timely manner, never dying once. I knew if the hero died or was delayed by the dungeons, Demise would surely rise. I was forced to admit that we needed help.

"I began to think about what I wanted this person to do. Going with Link would only slow him down. Besides, I had already created Fi to help protect him. I already had Impa to aid my mortal form. However, should Ghirahim succeed, neither of these Defenders could save us. And then I realized what must be done. Why would Ghirahim risk life and limb to revive his master if he was no longer loyal to Demise in the first place? So, I had a new goal. I wanted Ghirahim to leave Demise's side, and, if at all possible, join mine." Hylia explained. I stared at her, dumbfounded.

"The only problem is, Demise has poisoned his sword's mind into the strongest bond. It would be no easy task to convince the servant to betray his master. I didn't think any of the mild-mannered folk of Skyloft would succeed. I needed someone else. Someone different. And that's when I found your world." Hylia said, giving me an intense look.

"After years of experimentation, I was finally able to create a portal between the two worlds. My intention was to summon someone from our neighboring world to help. The only problem was, who? I proceeded to creating a simulation that would determine who would make the bast match for this responsibility." She explained. I let that sink in. I couldn't remember any simulation except...

"You mean...the _game_?" I asked. Hylia nodded.

"Precisely. This...'game'...as you call it was not created by anyone in your world. Yes, they designed it, but they didn't invent the concept. No, I sent the idea to a game producer through a dream. He didn't remember the encounter, but he didn't have to. When he woke up, the idea seemed to just occur to him. I gave him the idea for the plot, characters, and dungeons. Using a small foresight spell, I was able to develop a story-line based on what would happen if Link could succeed no matter what. It was meant to introduce the problem and characters to the readers. I wanted them to already have a liking of Link and Zelda. I wanted them to understand who Ghirahim was, and how dangerous he could be. I figured if they already knew how the story was supposed to end, then they wouldn't be as prone to being corrupted by the very person they are supposed to be recruiting. I thought if they were already loyal to Link, then it would be safer. Then Ghirahim would have to try harder to earn your friendship. Should all else fail, then with any luck, this world would just succeed in the same way the simulation did. Additionally, through playing the game, in a sense, you were applying for the job of his Defender. And you, Marissa Joy Meyer, passed with flying colors." She said.

"I don't understand. Why me?" I asked. "There are over 7 billion people on earth. Why choose me? I'm just a girl from Minnesota with like, terrible people skills." I asked.

Hylia smiled. "The answer shall reveal itself in good time. But for now..." Hylia turned. "You have a job to do."

"I still think you've made a mistake. I mean, all my friends always end up leaving me anyway. They always end up hanging out with someone else, or they'll get switched to another school. Who says Ghirahim is any different? In fact, who says we're even friends in the first place? He hates me! He told me so." I ranted. Hylia raised a perfect eyebrow.

"Really? I'd say you'd be mistaken about that." she said, a playful tone in her voice.

"What are you..?" Hylia gestured to the harp, cutting me off. As I watched, the strings vanished, and the frame was filled by a rippling white surface. In seconds, images appeared in the makeshift screen.

I walked closer and squinted as the images came into focus. I saw several people in a large room filled with beds. Two figures were standing around a small bed where a third lay. The face of the two upright individuals became clear. I didn't recognize the one on the left, but the one on the right was none other than the very person our conversation was about: Ghirahim. And the third, a pathetic, trembling mess was...me. She—I—was curled up in a tight ball like how I always slept when I was uncomfortable. I heard muffled voices, but I was able to catch a few words.

"...will survive, won't she?" That was Ghirahim.

"Yes, of course she will. You cut it close, but I had enough time to give her the potion before it was too late. She'll have a killer headache when she wakes up, but other than that she'll be fine." The unfamiliar figure said. Ghirahim relaxed a bit, and a wave of some unidentifiable emotion crossed his face. He gave a curt nod to the healer.

"You were lucky, My Lord. That was our last antidote for Skulltula poison." The figure continued.

"Can't you brew more?" Ghirahim asked.

"I've told you this a million times. It is a very complex potion. One of the key ingredients is pumpkin seeds grown in the fields of Skyloft. We will only ever have one if it manages to fall through the cloud barrier like last time." The demon said irritably.

"Very well. Thank you, Herb." Ghirahim said, giving him a brief nod. Then the vision slowly faded. I stared at the harp, silently begging it to show me more.

"So...I'm unconscious?" I asked.

"Yes. Several hours ago, when you were bitten by the skulltula, you collapsed. This created a prime time for me to communicate with you. I watched as Ghirahim carried you back to the manor, and as soon as you were safe I summoned you here.

"He...he carried me?" I asked, stunned.

"Of course. While you may have little confidence that you are the right being for this job, I believe this is enough evidence to prove you wrong. Take it slow, and you shall soon gain his undying loyalty." Hylia explained.

I stared at the ground. So deep down, Ghirahim actually _did_ like me. Just a little. And when I say 'like', I mean as in the 'I don't always want to kill you' type of like.

"I still don't understand. Why me? What did I do in the game that was so special? What do the numbers in the prophecy mean?" I asked, the questions flying out of my mouth.

Hylia backed away. "I know you have many questions, but there isn't enough time. All the answers will come to you in good time. Already I can feel your mortal consciousness beginning to stir. Before you leave, I must give you a warning: While I may link your world and ours for the time being, it is an unstable connection, and I fear I cannot sustain it forever. It is impossible to manipulate space and time for long. And it comes at a great cost, I'm afraid. While I may be able to keep the portal intact until your duty is over, I cannot promise it will not fail soon after." Hylia's image began to fade.

"Before I go, I have one last thing to show you." She said.

"Wait!" I begged. Hylia ignored me.

"Child, the road ahead of you is not easy. It is more rugged than either of us would like. Your path is filled with many hardships with many sharp twists and turns. I sense much pain and sadness is in store for you. But you mustn't give up hope. " Her voice was like a strange echo. "Remember why you are here. Remember who you are. And above all else, remember this: While you already may believe how this story is to end, don't let it rule your motives. Like I explained earlier, this is not the game. Not everything is what it seems. For while Ghirahim may have a dark past, he deserves a happy ending just as much as Link and Zelda do. Good luck, Marissa. May you benefit from this adventure as much as those with whom you collide. And remember, sometimes our brightest lights can be found in another's darkness..." Hylia glowed bright golden. Then she disappeared in a burst of triangle-shaped golden flecks. I was alone once again.

In an instant, the walls turned dark, fading into the blackness. A red-orange hue filled the murky air. The throne melted into the floor, and dirt replaced the golden tile. Dead grass covered the scorched land. In the distance, I could see smoke rise up into the dying sky, obscuring the outline of a volcano miles away. To my right stood an enormous, bulky figure. I realized with horror that it was Demise. I tried to run, but my legs refused to move.

Demise was facing forward. His hair blazed on his charcoal scalp, his eyes dark pits filled with burning orange flames. However they were not trained on me. No, they were fixed on a figure approaching on horseback. The demon came closer, and I recognized him immediately as Ghirahim. While he didn't seem much different at a glance, I somehow knew this was a scene from long ago. This was what Hylia was trying to show me. It must be from the Ancient Battle.

"Master!" Ghirahim leaped off his enormous black horse and ran to the Demon King. A large gash on his belly made me wince. Cuts covered his arms and legs. A deep puncture below his left eye was just visible under his sweat-soaked curtain of white hair. He took in ragged breaths, appearing to have come straight here from an intense battle.

"Master..." Ghirahim gasped, falling to his knees several yards before Demise. "Hylia's army sent a raid. They broke into our dungeons. They...the prisoner...he got away. I tried to attack him, but I was hopelessly outnumbered." Ghirahim reported in a voice strained with exhaustion.

**"What did you just say?"** Demise asked in a chillingly calm tone. A muscle twitching in his arm was the only thing that betrayed his masked rage.

"The prisoner...he escaped." Ghirahim panted.

Demise stalked forward. **"You mean...Hylia's precious Hero is free?"** Demise hissed, his fury boiling over on his face. With alarming speed and ease, he lifted Ghirahim up by the neck. **"You knew it was key to keep him under our control." **The Demon King spat, crushing his servant's windpipe. Ghirahim clawed at his throat, his face turning a sickly blue-green. I tried to cry out, but my voice wouldn't work. Then Demise put Ghirahim down with a begrudging look on his face.

Ghirahim rolled onto his back, gasping for air as coughs racked his body.

**"I suppose I cannot kill you yet. I still need my sword." **Demise muttered, turning away. "**Even so...this little stunt mustn't go...**_**unpunished." **_

Without the slightest warning, chains appeared on Ghirahim's arms, suspending him in the dark air. Ghirahim gasped, his eyes wide with terror.

The Demon King ripped off the top half of his servant's outfit, down to the arched base of his spine. I stared at the smooth, unmarked surface of his back. It was a strong, muscular surface, and the only noticeable feature was where you could see the edges of the vertebrate underneath his perfect skin. His shoulder blades shifted as he fought the chains.

A whip appeared in Demise's enormous hands. The weapon glowed with a fiery hue, the metal seeming to be covered in dancing embers. I could feel the burning heat from here. In an instant, I understood what was happening. My mind screamed at me to intervene, but I still couldn't move.

The Demon King brought back the whip. _Crack. _The whip cut into his servant's skin, leaving an angry red, oozing wound, from his right shoulder to the left of the small of his back. Ghirahim screamed in agony. _Crack_! Ghirahim squared his shoulders against the pain, arching his back and clenching his fists. Blood pulsed out of the wounds in sheets, turning his back a sickening dark crimson.

"Stop it!" I screamed, though I couldn't make a sound. Again, again, and again I heard the crack of the infernal whip on Ghirahim's skin. The demon howled and sobbed in pure agony, shattering the air with his cries, and begging for mercy or death when he had the breath. He clenched his fists tighter. Ruby droplets of blood ran down his hands and wrist, adding to the growing stain on the ground.

I wanted to look away, but I was physically incapable of doing so. I wanted to sob as I heard the whip strike over and over, leaving a latticework of slashes on his back and shoulders. Tears streamed down his face at the brutal flogging. Demise stopped eventually and backed away, watching his servant writhe in pain. Even the slightest blow of wind contorted his face in anguish.

Finally, Demise was satisfied. The whip and chains disappeared. Ghirahim moaned as he landed on his back in the dirt. Part of my mind was desperate to run to him; to somehow alleviate his suffering. But I endured my own torture as I was rooted to the spot, staring at the one I was supposed to protect as his cries of agony filled the crisp night air.

* * *

**So, that was a bit of explaining for you. All your other questions will be answered later. On that note, please fav/follow! It'd also be great if you left me a review to tell me what you think so far. Good bye and good luck. I'll try to update soon. See ya! -Catwhiskers24**


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 23: The Hero**

* * *

**So, I've got a million things to apologize about. First, sorry that this took so long. I was studying for finals, but now that those are done, I finally had a chance to update. And it's a long one too. That's another thing. Sorry, but this chapter is really ridiculously long compared to my other ones. Well, on another note, I should also mention that this chapter is in Link's POV and it's to explain what exactly happened to him while Marissa was on the surface. I know most of it is the same as in the game, but i modified a few lines here in there. Other than that, most of the lines are the ones in the game. Except, of course, Link. It just kind of made more sense. Anyway, here it is!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own LOZ**

* * *

**Link's POV**

I burst through the clouds in a flash of orange light with ah invisible current blowing underneath my sailcloth. After I broke through the barrier, I was back in the sky I knew so well. Most people may be startled if they found themselves falling towards the clouds, but I was used to it at this point. After a sharp whistle, Crimson blazed up to meet me, the giant bird catching me with ease. It squawked a friendly greeting, turning its long neck to look at me.

"Missed you too, bud." I said, scratching the feathers at the base of his neck. I stared down. Somewhere beneath those clouds, two of closest friends were lost. And it was up to me to find them.

I returned my gaze to the air in front of my in shame. I still couldn't believe that after hours of searching and dowsing and fighting, I was no closer to saving either one of them. At least I'd found both off them. Well, sort of.

My thoughts darted back to the battle. I still didn't understand all of it. I racked my brain, trying to remember what had happened. Marissa had been there, along with that strange man. What was his name again? Lord Ghiradelli? I didn't know. But the way the two interacted was so strange. Like they were enemies who both hated and liked each other. How much had happened in four days? And why did Ghirasomething call her Ocean?

Then it hit me. Maybe it was a decoy name. I remembered him mentioning that he needed to sacrifice Zelda's soul to resurrect her master. Call me crazy, but something told me that creature was definitely not a normal person. In fact, I recalled him calling himself a 'demon lord' or something. My fists clenched Crimson's feathers a little tighter at the thought of a perverted demon seeking out my best friend to sacrifice her soul. Probably to resurrect a more powerful, more _evil_ demon master. I could not let that happen. There was no way I would let him lay a finger on Zelda.

I instantly felt guilty. I should be worried for Marissa, too. I couldn't believe I'd left her with that...that _demon._ What was I thinking? She had saved my life, and I had just left. What happened to her? Did she escape that monster? Or did he kill her for stopping him? She'd _stabbed him _for Hylia's sake! Something told me someone like him would not just let that go.

But then...the way she had argued with the demon lord had been strange. I would expect someone like him to murder anyone who showed him such disrespect. And yet, he'd had patience with her. Why? The answer, I realized, was simple. Marissa was the most strange, mysterious girl I'd ever met. Half of what she said I didn't understand. And the other half was clever comments and retorts. Something told me there was something about her that I didn't know. She was nothing like any of the other girls on Skyloft. She hated clothes, she actually _liked_ some of the classes at the academy, and she always seemed to be one step ahead of the rest of us. Like she knew something we didn't. After seeing her stand up to Groose, it didn't surprise me that she had been so resistant to him. There was more to the two then I could understand. I realized that maybe I didn't half to. Zelda's words rang in my head.

_Hey, this is _Marissa _we are talking about._ She had told me. _She isn't helpless. She can handle herself. I'm sure she's fine._ It was true. She _wasn't _helpless. Suddenly, all the hours she'd spent training with me started to make sense. It was almost like she had _known_ this would happen. Maybe she hadn't fallen. Maybe she'd left on her own. One step ahead indeed.

I gripped the ragged clay tablet I'd found in the spring outside of the temple. I may have missed Zelda, but at least I'd gotten one thing out of my disastrous trip to to the Surface. I could use this to open another break in the cloud barrier. At least, that's what I guessed, judging by what my strange sword spirit, Fi, had told me.

I sighed. This was all too much. Zelda's strange behavior earlier, Marissa's prophecy, Fi, and now this? It just seemed to be all connected, part of something much, _much _bigger than I'd originally expected. And now I was caught in the middle.

"Master?" Fi's voice startled me as she flipped out of my sword with a _whoosh._ The spirit took the form of a young innocent-looking girl of about 14 or 15. She seemed to be of metal, with empty blue eyes that matched the rest of her azure face. She wore a long, lustrous blue and violet cloak that billowed around her sides like arms. A blue gem gleamed in the middle of her chest, similar to the yellow one mounted on the hilt of her sword form. The blue lines crossing her dark legs was similar to the green ones on the grip of the sword.

"Master, is something troubling you?" The question was kind enough, but was ruined by her monotone, emotionless voice that was as stiff as a board. While I was greatful that I wasn't alone, she didn't make for much company. She was impossible to have a conversation with.

"I'm fine, Fi." I answered.

"I would recommend you rest before continuing on your adventure." She suggested, though it sounded more like a command.

"I said I'm fine!" I snapped. Fi stared at me with her neutral expression. "Sorry." I muttered.

"There is no need for concern, Master. I live to serve you. I shall not bother you any longer." She answered, not hurt by my harsh tone. I guess it was sometimes a good thing that she never felt emotions.

I sighed. "No, it's okay. We will rest for the night." I said, glancing at the rapidly sinking sun. I didn't realize how enormous it was until I saw it from the surface as a minuscule, faint yellow orb.

"Very well, Master."

"Please, just call me Link." I said to the spirit, feeling unnerved by the thought that she considered herself my servant and me her master. I didn't like it.

"Understood, Master Link."

Fi flipped back into the sword, vanishing into pale blue light. I was alone once again.

My thoughts drifted to four days earlier, and memories of that morning when all this madness began, filled my mind.

* * *

**4 Days Earlier**

I was standing in a forest of some kind. The trees were dark and gloomy, and something about it radiated death and despair. Suddenly, the ground rumbled, and a fissure traced its way down the path towards me. The forest was shaking and roaring as chunks of sediment fell through the deep gap into the abyss below. Suddenly, I was hovering above the tree line like a ghost, and was met with a horrifying sight.

A monstrous creature towered countless feet above the gigantic trees. It's jaws were just slightly parted, like those of a hideous reptile. Teeth the size of swords jutted out of its lower jaw. It had no eyes, and the bulking mass that was its head was thankfully facing away from me. Gigantic, onyx scales covered its vast surface, with no skin visible. The scales were each more than twice the size of my head, and looked to be made of the strongest steel. The creature had a blazing main of brittle purple hairs that were constantly rippling like an electric current. The monster gave off a smoky aura that seemed to be made of pure evil itself. The sky behind it looked dead, like the dusk following the most gruesome battle.

It tossed its head to and fro with a roar, and the humming of a gigantic beast breathing turned my limbs to jelly. Then it turned straight towards me with a deafening roar, revealing too many teeth to count and a blood-red maw, gaping as wide as any house back on Skyloft.

Then the scene changed. I was standing in...well...nowhere. Darkness stretched as far as the eye could see. A familiar roar filled the air, and I gasped as the monster towered before me. It tossed its head, seeming to be in indescribable rage or agony, and bellowed at a pink light glowing just above it.

"Rise, Link..." A metallic voice sounded from the light. "The time has come for you to awaken..."

I stared at the light, but the piercing orb over a black background seared my eyes, and I couldn't see the source of the strange voice.

"You are fated to have a hand in a great destiny, and it will soon find you...The time has come for you to awaken...Link..." The monster roared, and the light and voice faded to nothingness. I shielded my face from the sheer force of the sound. Then it too, was gone. The sound was replaced by the shrill cries of a Loftwing, seeming to be right in my ear. I whirled around, coming face-to-face with a familiar purple bird. It let out a piercing scream, and I cried out, landing with a thud on a hard surface.

I blinked open my eyes to find myself staring at the old green clay making up my ceiling. It was just a dream. I looked around my room sleepily, still on the floor. After looking around several times, I finally noticed the impatient-looking purple Loftwing standing outside, with its head poking through the window. It regarded me with a look of disdainful scorn, before spitting a bundle of paper at my face. It squawked one last time, before flying away, leaving the wooden panel to snap over my window. I stood up with a groan, staring at the piece of paper I now held in my hand. I realized it was a letter. I rubbed the sore back of my head, and then broke the delicate red seal. My eyes skimmed the delicate handwriting that I instantly recognized as Zelda's. The letter read:

_**Hey, sleepyhead. I know how much you like to sleep in, so I'm guessing this letter will be your alarm clock this morning. Did I guess right? Rise and shine, Link! Today's the Wing Ceremony! You promised to meet me before it starts, remember? You'd better not keep me waiting.**_

_**—Zelda**_

I rubbed my eyes, and then put down the letter. After quickly getting dressed, I dashed out of the room. I ran all the way to the Statue of the Goddess, and then entered the courtyard where she would be waiting. Sure enough, there she was, standing with her back facing me. She was playing a golden instrument, and singing a song that all Skyloftians knew:

_Oh youth,_

_Guided by the servant of the goddess..._

_Unite earth and sky..._

_Bring light to the land..._

Zelda's light, beautiful singing cut through the early morning air, and I smiled as I slowly approached her. Hearing my footsteps, she stopped and turned around, her face bright with a smile.

"Hey! Good morning, Link." She called. Zelda was wearing a bright pink dress, with a white shawl draped over shoulders. Her golden hair was neatly brushed, and most of it was tied behind her with green and pink ribbons at the base. Two large locks of hair dangled by each of her sharp ears, tied with another set of ribbons each.

She tilted her head, her cobalt-blue eyes filled with warmth and affection. "I'm glad to see my Loftwing got you out of bed. I was pretty sure you'd sleep in and forget to meet me this morning."

I laughed lightly, knowing the truth in her words. "Yeah, you're probably right." I agreed.

She smiled and laughed as well. Then her eyes widened like an excited child. "But look at this instrument!" She said, holding out the small object. "And look at this outfit! They're mine to use today in the ceremony, since I'll be playing the role of the goddess." She said, bubbling over with excitement. I smiled, and inspected the instrument. It seemed to made with pure gold, with the lustrous surface glowing bright in the sunlight. Each side ended in a carving of the head of a Loftwing. It was small; just a semicircle that easily fit in her hands. But that made it no less valuable. The instrument didn't just shine; it seemed to give of a bright light that seemed to fill me with a new-found hope and determination.

"Aren't they beautiful?" She went on. "Especially this instrument! They tell me it's just like the one the goddess was said to have in the legends. It sounds gorgeous too. I asked Father about it, and he says its called a harp." She giggled and lowered her instrument. "And look at these clothes! I made the wrap myself, and we get to use it in today's ceremony! Between the harp and this outfit, I'm going to make a _great _goddess today!"

"Yeah." I agreed. "You definitely will."

Zelda smiled, and her face glowed. "I got you up early this morning because I wanted you to be the first to see me like this, Link! So..." She said, happily spinning in a circle. "How do I look?"

"Great!" I answered.

Zelda giggled and curtsied. "Hah, I think so too! But it's nice to know you agree. Thanks, Link.

"Ah, there you are, Zelda. Are you all prepared for today's ceremony?" A deep voice called. Gaepora entered the courtyard with a proud smile. He was wearing an orange dress robe with a red scarf around his neck. His white mustache and eyebrows were neatly trimmed.

Zelda turned to face him. "Oh, hello, Father." Zelda said back. I looked between the two in confusion. Had Zelda just called me here to look at her outfit?

Gaepora looked to me with a smile. "Ah, Link, you're here too. Outstanding. It's encouraging to see you up so early, given your capacity for sleep. No doubt today's ceremony had you too excited to close your eyes for once!" I laughed quietly, and exchanged a glance with Zelda. If only that had been the case. Then I wouldn't have had that strangely vivid nightmare...

Gaepora looked at the too of us, and then went on. "If you win today's ceremonial race, you'll get to participate in the post-race ritual with Zelda, so give it your best out there."

Zelda's face fell, and she stared at her sandaled feet,. "Yes. About that..." Her head shot up, and I jumped at her upset voice. "Father, I don't know if he can do it!" She exclaimed. I cringed. Here we go again. "Recently Link hasn't been practicing much at all for the ceremony!" She accused. I hung my head in shame. Zelda continued her rant. "And even when he's out riding his Loftwing, he's just lazily gliding around. Probably daydreaming! I don't know what he's thinking, He's going to have to be in perfect control of his bird to win today." She said, staring at me in concern. My cheeks burned red.

Gaepora walked towards his daughter, motioning for her to calm down. "No need to worry yourself, Zelda. Though you may have a point. Today's Wing Ceremony tests the skill of the rider as well as his bond to his bird. Victory will not come easily. And, as you pointed out, I haven't seen him practicing as hard as some of the other students." he said, giving me a pointed look.

I itched the back of my neck in embarrassment. "Oops."

Gaepora turned back to his daughter. "But you've known him since you were both very little." her father reasoned. "You should know better than to fret about him! You see, Link and his Loftwing share a special connection. I've never seen anything quite like it." He looked towards the sky, and Zelda followed his gaze.

There words became muffled as they faced away from me. I turned to look in the other direction, searching for my own loftwing. For a moment I was worried, but then I noticed a red blur streak around Zelda's loftwing. The two danced across the sky, seeming to feel the excitement that was in the air. I was jolted back to the ground as I heard my name.

"Yes," Gaepora was saying, "and the boy and his bird seemed to share a profound connection from the moment they met." I scratched the back of my neck feeling embarrassed, but a small smile fought its way across my face at the memory.

"Do you recall when Link and that Loftwing of his first met? What a sight!" Gaepora exclaimed. "The little boy just hopped up on that bird and gracefully flew away, without even a moment of instruction! They were meant for each other. And judging by how jealous you were that day, I'd say the friendship he shared with his bird didn't go unnoticed by you, my dear." Zelda looked away.

I turned back to the sky, the memories returning as I watched Crimson soar.

Gaepora laughed. "Ah, but who could blame you?" He said to Zelda. "I'm sure you weren't the only one envious of the powerful bond shared by Link and his bird. Anyone who is part of something special is bound to catch some nasty looks sooner or later." He chuckled.

Zelda sighed. Then she furiously turned towards her father.

"This contest is nothing to laugh at, Father! This ceremony is part of the final test for those training to become knights of Skyloft! If Link doesn't fly fast enough during the race..." She lowered her head, and then looked anxiously at the man. "What if Link messes up his big chance... What if he's not allowed to become a knight?"

"Calm down, my dear." He soothed. "It will be fine. Honestly, it's almost as though you become a completely different person when you worry about Link." He teased. Zelda's cheeks glowed red. Then she turned towards me, as if I hadn't been standing there, listening to them talking about me as if I weren't ten feet away.

"Listen, Link, you'd better fly your heart out today." She said, running towards me. "At the very least, you need to squeeze in a little practice time before the race!"

"Zelda, I don't think—"

"Come on! You'll thank me later!" She promised taking my hand and dragging me to the edge of the island.

She placed her hands on each of my shoulders. "Here we are. Go on now. Jump off the edge and call your Loftwing." She commanded. I turned my neck to loo at her, but she shifted her face to my other side with an impish smile. "It's almost time for the ceremony, so try to practice seriously for once!" She said firmly.

"Zelda, I think I'll be fine!" I said, turning my head in the other direction. She instantly shifted to my other side again.

"Hmm? Oh yeah? You're '_ready' _for the most important contest of your life?" She looked over my right shoulder. "Oh, I get it. You're trying to _weasel_ out of having to practice! Nice try, but you're not fooling me." She said, finally staying in one spot long enough for me to look her in the eye. The playfulness on her face filled me with dread.

"Off you go!" She exclaimed, shoving me forward. I cried out, arms flailing as I plunged over the edge. The next thing I knew, I was plunging towards the cloud barrier like an aerodynamic rock. My lips were dry, so it took me a few tries, but I managed to whistle for my Loftwing. Crimson obliged, carrying me up, above the island and the people below.

Zelda came up next to me. Then she looked around.

"Huh, that's strange." She muttered.

"What?"

"Marissa was going to meet us to help you practice. Just in case you were...difficult." She teased. "Oh well, maybe something came up."

We practiced for at least an hour and a half. Finally, Zelda was forced to admit it as well. I was ready.

* * *

We landed on the main square of Skyloft. Some of the knights were finishing setting up the ceremony. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Groose and his cronies talking quietly and I groaned.

"...It sure was a shame that we couldn't trap Link's Loftwing." Stritch was saying, giving his leader a nice little back massage.

"Yes, that shrimp's weird little friend just _had _to get involved." Groose ranted. He stood up. "If I ever see that little freak again, she's going to wish she never came here!"

I cleared my throat. The three whipped around.

"Whoa!" Groose exclaimed. "Link! So, uh...yeah. Just how long long have you been standing there?"

Before I could answer, Groose walked towards me. "What's your problem, anyway?" Groose asked.

"I—"

"Oh, wait...I got it. You're here to talk about today's race. I can see it in those dopey eyes of yours." He sneered, pacing around me. "They're pleading, 'Oh, Groose, can you please find it in your heart to let me win today? Please!'" Groose said in an unnecessarily high voice. "You're just desperate to win so you can get some _alone time_ with Zelda up on the Statue of the Goddeess at the end of the ceremony." Groose jumped in front of me, and tilted his head, his yellow-green eyes looking down at me. "Well, sorry, pal. Groose doesn't do charity for wimps. My advice? Work hard and wish with all your heart. You might even come in second. Though...I guess I might consider helping you if you really beg." He said with a smirk. "Kneel! Beg! Grovel!

"Nice hair." I said instead.

Groose glared at me, straightening his giant pompadour. Then he jabbed a finger at me. "You know, we're all getting tired of how you never let anyone forget you and Zelda go way back. You've been friends since you were kids. Big deal, It doesn't change the fact that you float through life with your head in the clouds. Would you wake up, straighten up, and grow a backbone already? Dopes like you are dragging our honored academy through the mud."

"And just who might you be talking about, Groose?" A very angry-sounding Zelda said from a few yards away.

Groose's eyes bulged. "Oh...Zelda, Hey. Nah, it's...uh..."

Zelda stormed up to him, nudging me aside. It was her turn to point at the older teen.

"Don't even try it, Groose! You're picking on Link again, aren't you? He's a student at the academy, like all of us. Why do you insist on bullying him around so much?"

Groose's eyes softened as he looked at her. "Yeah...I suppose..."

"You suppose? Suppose _what_?" Zelda demanded.

A giddy smile crossed Groose's face, and his face turned red. "I...suppose...you...Er..." Then he turned away with a frown. "Pfft! Forget it. I wasn't supposing anything, OK?" He swaggered to the wooden platform with his friends flanking him. He waved, seeming to be gloating over an imaginary victory. "OK, we're outta here, boys. Later, Link! Hope you don't have a panic attack and die before I can beat you!" Groose called. The three leaped off the cliff, soaring skyward on their birds.

I turned to Zelda. She smiled. "Ready for the contest? She asked.

"As I'll ever be." I responded.

* * *

The Wing Ceremony arrived with the ringing of the academy's bells, sound of trumpets, and three Loftwings streaking across the sky.

My victory had a similar atmosphere. I managed to catch the Golden Loftwing, and took the targeted statuette before Groose could nail me in the head with a smoke bomb. Yeah, Groose cheated. Big surprise. All that mattered was one thing. I won. I _WON._

"Link!" Zelda's voice came from above me as I flew just below the edge of the island in triumph. Before I knew what was happening, Zelda had dived off the edge of the island, and was soaring towards me. Fast.

I gasped, and maneuvered my Loftwing underneath her, catching Zelda just in time.

She cringed, and I stared at her in concern, but then she straightened up.

"Don't worry—I'm fine!" She exclaimed. Then we were both laughing in joy.

"Great flying, Link! Congratulations! Now we'd better get on with the ceremony!" She exclaimed.

We landed on the platform in the hands of the Statue of the Goddess.

"Link," Zelda said, holding out her hand, "hand me that Bird Statuette you grabbed in the race. I must offer it to the goddess."

I nodded and willingly handed her the statuette, which she placed in a small cleft on the statue. Then she played several notes on the ceremonial harp, closing her eyes at the tune. She held out her hand, and I took it, bending to one knee. Zelda closed her eyes.

"Great goddess, guiding light and protector of our people, grant us your mercy as I act in your stead during this ceremony." She prayed. Then she spoke the sacred words.

_"Valiant youth who grasped victory at the celebration of the bird folk... In accordance with the old ways...I now bestow the blessings of the goddess upon you."_

She delicately removed her hand from my grasp, and undid the shawl around her shoulders. She folded it into a neat square and held it out to me. For it was not a shawl, but instead a sailcloth, the mysterious sail-like squares of cloth that allow you to fall hundreds of feet and walk away unscathed.

"The blessings of the goddess drift down from the heavens aloft a sail, which I now pass on to you." She whispered. I gently took the cloth from her grasp. The perfect white cloth was surprisingly soft. The middle was adorned with the azure symbol of the goddess.

...it smelled nice too.

I grinned and held it in the air in triumph.

"Link!" Zelda exclaimed, fighting back a laugh. "Quit goofing off. This is supposed to be a _sacred ritual, _remember?" She gave me a considerate look, her eyes soft. "You know, they say that the goddess gave the Sailcloth to her chosen hero long ago. Of course, the one you're holding isn't the same one. I've been working hard to finish making this Sailcloth in time to give it to today's champion." She said with a shy smile. Then her voice lowered. "I'm really glad I got to give it to you, Link." She said slowly, each word filled with meaning. My heart seemed to pound faster. Did the air just heat up? I was pretty sure Skyloft just got ten degrees warmer. Or twenty.

"Make sure you take good care of it, OK?" She asked. I nodded quickly, at a loss for words. She smiled, and then looked at the ground sheepishly. "Thanks for making it up here to do this with me today like you promised, Link." She said in a small voice. She looked up at me with a sweet smile, her head tilted just slightly.

"Ah..." I nodded again, suddenly forgetting to form words in a sentence.

Zelda giggled, and walked closer. She was just a few feet away. "Now we really should finish up this ritual...

My heart beat even faster, I was sure of it.

She looked at me, suddenly shy again. "You...do know what happens at the end, right?" She asked. My heart was banging against my rib cage, and I felt like I was inches from the sun. Was I sweating?

"Uh-oh..." I managed to joke weakly.

Zelda put her hands on her hips, raising an eyebrow. "And just what are you thinking? Don't be silly. This is your big moment, Link!" She scolded.

She closed the distance between us and I swallowed. Our faces were just inches apart, and we we were nearly touching. She could hear my heartbeat too, I was sure of it. It was probably deafening.

Then, a mischievous look passed over her face, and she spun me around. "You have to jump off the statue!" She exclaimed. "Look down. See that big, round design on the courtyard below? To finish the ceremony, you need to drop down right into the center of it!"

I swallowed. The ground looked miles away.

She grinned at me. "Just how brave are you? If you were really fearless, you'd wait until the last second to use your Sailcloth." I swallowed back bile. I heard her voice in my ear. "...So, ready to jump?

"N—" I was cut off as she shoved me in the back, and I fell forward. My fumbling fingers had just enough time to open the sailcloth before I could go splat on the ground below. I landed in the middle of the circle, just like she said.

Zelda's Loftwing landed across from me, and she jumped off its back.

"That was perfect! You're amazing, Link!" She exclaimed.

"I...uh...I don't know about _amazing_, but..."

Zelda watched me with amusement. Then she clasped her hands. "You know, Link, seeing as how you won today... And with the weather being so nice... You think maybe you'd like to, you know, go fly around the clouds together?"

"Yes! Definitely!" I exclaimed. Then I blushed. "I mean...if you really want to..."

"Great! Let's go."

* * *

We soared hundreds of feet above the island on our Loftwings. The only sound was the wind rushing through my ears, and the sound of Crimson's majestic wings cutting through the air. That it, until Zelda broke the silence.

"...Link? Hey, Link!" She called. I turned to face her as she steered her Loftwing near mine. "Today was amazing. Watching you win the race and performing the ritual together...I'll always remember this. It really was wonderful." I smiled at her as she spoke. Zelda suddenly stiffened and glanced around in confusion, as if she'd heard something.

"Who's... Who's that? Who's calling for me?" She whispered.

"What?"

She shook her head. "Oh, sorry, Link. I got distracted for a moment. Let's just keep going."

"Ok..." I said in confusion. A few minutes later, the same thing happened.

"You know...Link...There's something I've been meaning to talk to you about..." She said. "I...I heard this voice a few moments ago. Did you hear it too?"

I shook my head.

She sighed. "It's been happening a lot lately. It's the strangest feeling... Almost like someone is calling out to me..." She was quiet for a moment. "Have you ever wondered what's beneath the clouds? Some say it's an empty, barren place, or even that there's nothing at all down below, but I just have this feeling that they're wrong. Some of Father's old texts talk about a place called the Surface. The old tales describe a whole world under there, far more vast than Skyloft! The thing is, no one's ever been down there to see it, and our Loftwings won't fly through the cloud barrier."

She bowed her head. "...But I can't help imagining the wild things that might be waiting below. Someday, I want to see for myself." She said in a hushed voice.

"Yeah." I agreed. We both stared at the cloud barrier below. I began to imagine a world like how she described. But every time I imagined a world below, I thought of a place like the one in my nightmare. I suddenly considered telling her about last night's dream, but I didn't get the chance.

"There's one other thing that's been bothering me." Zelda admitted. "Last night, Marissa couldn't stop talking about how excited she was to watch the Wing Ceremony. The thing is, I haven't seen her today. I didn't think much of her missing training, but now...I mean, by her voice, it seemed like she wouldn't have missed it for the world. And yet..." She sighed. "It just seems weird, okay? I can't help wonder if something happened to her."

"Well..." I thought for a moment, "She does tend to disappear once in a while. Maybe she's where she normally goes." I said, trying to be optimistic. I didn't want to think about anything bad happening to the younger girl. She's been a loyal friend to me. She stood up to Groose twice, saved me from falling through the clouds, and had let me ditch her to hang out with Zelda last night. The thought of her plummeting through the air, falling through the clouds with no one to help...

"I'm sure she's fine. Yeah this is weird, but then again...so is she." I pointed out.

"Yeah, I guess...But this just isn't like her. I've only known her for a year, but if there's one thing I know about Marissa, it's that she'd never miss an event like this. Especially of she promised she would come. Not to mention it was a chance for Groose to make a fool of himself, which she'd never miss." Zelda said.

"Yeah. Well, maybe she's visiting her home island or something." I suggested.

"Yes, but she would have told me. She always does. That's where she always goes. But whenever she visits them, I always see Amythest with the other Loftwings. But the only time I saw her today, she was circling around the sky just south of Skyloft, looking flustered."

"How about this." I suggested. "We wait three more days. If she hasn't returned, we start searching for her."

"Okay." Zelda agreed. But what if we're too late? What if she needs help? I mean, if she fell, who knows what's down there? She may need saving right _now!_"

I smiled, admiring Zelda's loyalty to her younger friend. "I'm sure she'll be okay for a few days. I mean, what could happen?" I reasoned.

"A lot could happen Link!" She snapped. Then she lowered her head. "I'm sorry. It's just...she's like a little sister to me. After losing Mother to that plague..." Her lower lip trembled.

I felt a rush of sadness as well. The plague had struck the island when we were only children. It was brief, and a cure was quickly found. But the horrible damage it did in its short life... Zelda had lost her mother, but I'd lost both parents.

"Yeah..." I said, now worried. I knew what Zelda meant. Even though she was weird and mysterious, and we'd only known her for a year, I was closer to Zelda and Marissa then to many of the other students. It probably helped that we were so similar. Even though she could be fiery when she had to, many times she was as quiet as I was. Besides that, both of us loved to sleep. Both of always just wore what was convenient. And besides that, both of us seemed to feel like outsiders. I had always felt distant from my peers, and spent more time thinking and daydreaming then talking. In that sense, as well as many others, we were very similar. While Zelda would always be my best friend, she was a close second.

"You're right. I don't have Mom or Dad. I don't want to lose her too." I agreed sadly.

Realizing that I need assurance as well as she did, Zelda smiled weakly. "Hey, this is _Marissa_ we're talking about." Zelda reminded me. "She isn't helpless. She can handle herself. I'm sure she's fine."

"You're right. In fact, she'd hate to know we we're talking about her like this. I mean... She's the one who _never _needs help." I said, a little brighter.

"Remember that time she was carrying her bag, her sword, _and _five textbooks?" Zelda said with a laugh. "She refused to let us help."

"Yeah." I agreed, smiling. "And when she started to drop them, remember what she said?"

"'I 'm perfectly capable of carrying these GOD DAMN TEXTBOOKS!'" We said in unison, and then laughed harder than I would've expected.

"And then Owlan walked by." Zelda said as soon as she could spare the breath. "Remember her face?"

"Yeah. She looked like she's seen a ghost. I didn't know it was possible for someone's face to go from being so pale to so red!" I said.

"Or for a fifteen year old to run so fast while balancing textbooks!" Zelda added.

* * *

Our despair forgotten, we continued to fondly remember our young friend's blunders as we returned to the Skyloft. Had we known the truth, we may have left that day. We wouldn't have waited three days until her Loftwing was found, injured, at Pumpkin Landing.

But no. We waited. In those four days, we lived our lives as usual until the night of the third day. I had a dream of a blue and purple spirit by the name of Fi. She led me to a room behind the Statue of the Goddess, where I had found an ancient, blue-hilted sword. I'd used the sword to activate a small stone panel. This panel had opened a gap in the clouds. Fi had told me that not only did the one I seek lie down there in the surface, but also my destiny.

I suited up in this year's night uniform (forest green with a floppy hat and _way _too many layers) and left the academy. With me, I had my sword, a wooden shield, a few bottles of red potion, and my small supply of rupees.

I snuck out of the academy, not wanting to attract attention. I failed.

"Link! Wait!" I winced as I heard Zelda's voice. "You're going to go look for Marissa, aren't you?" She demanded.

"Yeah." I said. "Please, Zelda, be quiet.

"No." Zelda said, adjusting a pouch around her waist. "I'm coming with you."

"No. It's too dangerous."

Zelda's eyes blazed. "Too dangerous for me, but not for you?" She demanded, putting her hands on her hips. "Neither of us knows what's down there on the surface, It's dangerous to go alone. Take me!"

"Zelda I can't let you come. Your father would never forgive me if you got hurt." I said, trying to keep patient.

"Look. While I appreciate your concern, this is not up to you or my father. This is my decision. And if I want to follow you, then you can't stop me. Marissa's my friend too, you know." She insisted. "Besides, remember when I told you about hearing that strange voice? Maybe it's time. Maybe this is fate or something. Something tells me that I'm supposed to go to the surface. I don't understand what it is, but I can just...feel it, you know?"

"No. You are making no sense at all." I said.

"Link, I'm coming with you, so you might as well just accept it" Zelda said matter-of-factly.

I should've said no. I should've ran for it. But no. I agreed.

"Fine." I said. "Let's just go."

We boarded our Loftwings and set out towards the glowing pillar of emerald light. I filled Zelda in on the details of last night's meeting with Fi, and then we prepared to jump.

"On the count of three. One...Two...THREE!" Zelda exclaimed, leaping of her Loftwing. I followed her, and we hurtled towards the vast gap in the otherwise pure sheet of clouds. I shifted through the air so that I was falling near Zelda, and wrapped an arm around her. I took out my sailcloth, and the two of us floated neatly towards the ground.

Suddenly, while we were still several hundred feet above the surface, the wind picked up. It blew against me, tearing us apart. I lost my grip on Zelda, and she was blown several feet in the other direction.

"No!" I exclaimed. I reached towards her. "Grab my hand!"

I reached until my shoulders burned, and we managed to close the gap between our hands. Our fingers touched, and I tightened my grip. Then the wind picked up once more. Zelda's hands were slippery with sweat, and her hand slipped through my fingers.

"Don't let go!" I shouted over the howling wind. Another burst hit us full on. Zelda's dress caught the current like a sail, and her hand was wrenched from mine.

"Link!" She screamed.

"Zelda! NO!" I cried as the wind blew her in the opposite direction.

I looked down, and the trees came rushing to meet me. Pain seared up through my legs, and everything went dark.

* * *

**Present**

I sighed at the memory. She was so close. Her hands were so close from mine. And yet, she had slipped through my fingertips once again. I looked down. Somewhere, below the clouds and the howling wind, Zelda waited for me.

The breeze cutting across my face made my eyes water, and I wrapped my arms around Crimson's neck, burying my face into his feathers.

"Hang in there Zelda." I whispered. Then, I called out, "I will find you!"

* * *

**So that's what happened to Link. I wanted to give him a chance to narrate the story, since he's definitely not a minor character. Anyway, please remember to fav/follow if you liked it. If you get the chance, please leave me a review and tell me what you think. Thanks. Bye!**


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 24: Some Scars Never Fade**

**Hi! Here's a bonus chapter. It's short, but it's still important. Thanks for all your support. It's nice to know that my writing is making some of you look at the Ghirahim we all know so well in a different light. I thought it'd be interesting to explain his back-story as part of this fic. There will be more visions and flashbacks of his past, and just to warn you, some of them are violent. A few of them include torture, so sorry if you don't like that kind of thing. As you may have guessed, this story as a large story arc, and its going to be long. But I promise that while there may be some character deaths, it has a happy ending. Anyway, I'll stop rambling on and let you read the actual story. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ghirahim, Link, or anything else LOZ. All I've got are my OC's and plot changes.**

* * *

**Marissa POV**

My vision was filled with darkness. I blinked open my eyes. Instantly, my sensitive blue irises were filled with a bright light, and I was forced to shut them. I blinked once again. My eyes burned once more, but less severely. It was more like I was opening them underwater than in a vat of salt water. My eyes finally adjusted to the light, and I was able to keep them open for several seconds.

I was staring at the high, wooden ceiling of a room I'd never been in before. Windows slanted at with the edges of the roof, revealing a light morning sky. I turned my head to the left. Beds filled the room in a row aligned with mine. Small shelves lined the walls a few feet above each mattress. I realized I was in an infirmary of some sort.

I groaned and rolled over to my right side.

_ Ouch. _Fire crawled up my right shoulder and neck. I winced, and then opened my eyes to find them staring into a pair of large onyx ones.

"Good morning, my Little Remlit." Ghirahim purred.

"What the—Ghirahim!" I exclaimed, shifting back to the edge of the mattress. My heart pounded, and my muscles tensed up at my flustered surprise. The demon lord was sitting in a chair near the head of my bed. His cape was draped neatly over the back of his seat. He was leaning forward with his elbow resting inches from where my arm had been not ten seconds ago.

"Were you..._watching me sleep_?" I demanded.

Ghirahim shrugged. "That depends. Would that be considered creepy? Would it make you feel..._uncomfortable?_"

"Yes! Very!" I exclaimed, feeling my face burn as fiercely as my shoulder.

"Then no." He answered. "But I should add...you do sleep like a remlit, curled in a ball like that. Your nickname is even more genius than I originally thought."

"Dude! What the heck!" I exclaimed in embarrassment. I attempted to sit up, but my shoulder told me otherwise. It felt like it was twice its normal size, though, thankfully, it wasn't. My skin still burned like it was covered in acid, but the redness had almost completely faded. The only evidence of the bite was two small holes near my neck from the spider's pincers.

"Ow..." I muttered.

"Does it hurt?" Ghirahim asked.

"What do _you_ think, smart one?" I snapped.

"I don't know. I've never been bitten by a red skulltula." Ghirahim said with an oblivious shrug.

"Well FYI, yeah, it hurts. A lot." I said dryly.

"FYI?" Ghirahim echoed.

"Never mind." I muttered. "Where am I?"

"Well, after you passed out from the venom, I carried you back to the manor. I had one of my healers give you the antidote. You're lucky. That was our last dose." Ghirahim informed me.

"Well don't I feel _special._" I muttered. Then I glared at him. "Why did you take me back here, anyway? I thought we had a deal. You said after the walk I could leave!"

Ghirahim examined the candle on the nightstand between my bed and the next one.

"Well...no. Actually, _you_ were the one to make that particular demand when we arranging the conditions of the walk." He countered. "But to answer your question, I wasn't about to leave my servant to die from skulltula poison. I would be ashamed to be associated with someone who suffered such a..._pathetic _fate. No servant of mine would be allowed to bring dishonor to me in such a way. The only hope for you to survive was for me to bring you back here. You should be thanking me. Unless...you _wanted_ to die a slow, painful death. That can still be arranged." He said, lifting an invisible eyebrow.

"Um...no. I'm good." I said. I stared at him in confusion. This made no sense. From the scene in my dream, Ghirahim had actually seemed concerned for me. Why would he claim to be saving me just for his pride?

Then it hit me. His _pride. _Someone as proud as Ghirahim wouldn't admit that they saved their servant because they actually _cared_ about her. He was just trying to be cool about it. Typical Ghirahim.

"Right. So...um...thanks and all, but I should really be leaving." I said, attempting to sit up once again. This time, Ghirahim held me down.

"Easy now, my servant. According to my healer, you must rest for several days before you will be fully recovered. We wouldn't want you to hurt yourself _again, _now would we?" He asked. His tone was light and neutral (well,as neutral as he could be), but his eyes gave away his concern. Worry was written all over his face. I smiled a bit.

"Right. Your _healer_ thinks I should rest." I teased. Then I sighed. "Whatever. I guess I could take it easy for a couple more days. That is, if you can agree not to watch me sleep again."

Ghirahim threw his hands up in feigned resignation. Then he smiled at me. It was a nice smile. His next sentence, however, was not as pleasant.

"Good. You'll need your strength to keep up with your duties." He said, setting down the candle.

"What_ '_duties'?" I asked, my smile melting.

"Well, since you _are _back here in my mansion, you belong to me once again. Though I suppose I should give you a week or so before making you continue with your servant chores." He said.

"What? I am _not _your servant!" I exclaimed, staring at him in confusion.

"On the contrary, I did save your life. Now we are even, and you have to help me in return." He said with a triumphant smirk.

"That's not how it works! If we're square, then we're square. Neither of us owes the other anything anymore. We can just leave each other in peace. Besides, if we're going to keep score, technically its like, 3-2." I pointed out, panicking. He couldn't be serious.

Ghirahim narrowed his eyes. "And how do you get that, may I ask?"

"One for the tornado. Two for pulling you out of the water, and three for pulling that weed from your throat and getting you to breathe. For you, one point is helping me escape the volcano, and the other is for carrying me back here. That's three for me, and two for you." I explained hurriedly.

"No. I carried you back, and then my healer gave you the potion. That's two." he said, standing up.

"No it's not! The healer gave me the antidote. Bring him into this, and its three to two to one. Either way, I'm still ahead." I said, glaring at him.

"That's not true. The healer works for _me, _so that means his point goes to me also. It is three to three."

"Fine. Then we are equal. That still means I don't owe you anything." I reasoned. Man was he competitive.

"Enough." Ghirahim said, looking away. "This is the most pointless argument I've had in a decade. You've wasted too much of my time. I expect you to be ready to continue working in two days."

"But that's not fair! You're such an..." I trailed off. He was right. This was pointless. Besides, technically, wasn't I _supposed _to stay near him? I remembered the vision and my meeting with Hylia. I was here to protect Ghirahim. I was his Defender, whether I liked it or not. And I couldn't protect him very well if I was off adventuring with Link. No, I had to stay here.

I sighed. If I was going to stay here, then I was going to have to try to get along with Ghirahim; even if he did have a habit of getting on my nerves.

"Fine." I said.

"Fine, what?" Ghirahim asked. He was still glaring at me from our argument.

"Fine, I'll stay. Just for a while." I said. Ghirahim nodded curtly. I rolled my eyes. He was still mad at me for who-knows-what. "Also, I just wanted to say...thanks."

Ghirahim regarded me with a weary look. "For what, exactly?" He asked stiffly.

"For saving me. I guess now you know why I hate spiders." I said.

Ghirahim's eyes widened slightly in surprise. Then he nodded again.

"Is that all?" He asked.

"Er..." I hesitated. "Um, how's your knee? I saw you scraped it up pretty bad."

Ghirahim's eyes darted to his leg, where a small bandage was wrapped around his right knee.

"I'm fine." He said icily.

So yeah, he was really mad. I had a feeling that it was something more than me not wanting to come back. I think that just made it worse. But then...why was he mad in the first place? Maybe he was still upset that I betrayed him. I guess I could..._apologize_. That may get me on his good side for once. Hylia did say that I should try to gain his trust and loyalty. How else was I supposed to convince him to betray Demise?

I groaned inwardly. Being sweet and charming didn't exactly come naturally when it came to talking to Ghirahim. No, my initial impulse was usually to be sarcastic, with the occasional urge to smack him across the face with my AmStuds textbook.

I stared at Ghirahim. Then, I imagined the bleeding, suffering boy I saw in my vision. It barely registered that they were the same person. But I imagined I was talking to that boy, and closing my eyes, I said, "Sorry," in a small voice.

I cleared my throat. "Sorry for stabbing you..twice. And being so unpleasant. And betraying you." I said.

Ghirahim gave me a cold look. "You also kicked me in the groin." He muttered.

"Yeah...sorry for that too." I said.

Ghirahim hesitated, as if wanting to say something, but then he nodded with a small smile.

"It's okay." He said. Then he turned around. "Rest well." He called over his shoulder. I looked to the side, and realized he'd forgotten his cape. I considered saying something, but I decided against it. He'd be back.

I smiled a bit, and then nodded. I rested my head back on my pillow, watching him leave. Just before my eyes closed, I noticed something on his back, just for a moment. I stared at him in surprise.

So...the vision was true. What I saw proved it. I'd never noticed it since he was always wearing his mantle, but I caught a glimpse of it just before he left. For from underneath his jumpsuit, snaking its way up to the nape of his neck, was a skinny, pale-white scar.

* * *

**Progress between the two? We'd better hope so. Anyway, be sure to please fav/follow if you liked it and want me to continue. And, like always, reviews are FANTASTIC. Also, while I have a rough draft of the story, I may still take suggestions for bonus scenes if you have ideas. Anyway, you guys are amazing, and I hope you have a great week. See you!**

**~Catwhiskers24~**


	26. Chapter 26: Sword-Fighting 101

Chapter 25: Sword-Fighting 101

**Hey guys...**

**So, here we are Sunday evening, and I am just now updating. I'M SORRY. And I've got a few excuses, so hear me out.**

**1) This has been a really weird week. Like REALLY weird. Sweetheart is next weekend, and...well...yeah**

**2) I was having a tiny bit of writer's block. I knew what I want to happen, but I just had to figure out the order. I went to my friend's house to bounce some ideas back and forth...and I forgot my outline at home. Sigh.**

**3)My friend and I ended up talking all night and I got NOTHING done. Ha. Ooops.**

**4)I had homework and an event at school so...**

**5)I need a fifth excuse.**

**Anyway, I feel bad making excuses, but here it is. Ta-da. It was going to be longer, but I had to rest. I'll hopefully update soon. In the meantime, please send me positive vibes as I try to find my friend a date to the dance. *Evil Laugh***

**Disclaimer: I do not own LoZ, just my OC's and plot twists.**

* * *

**Marissa's POV**

"So he wants you to stay here?" Malice asked, legs dangling off the edge of the roof.

"Yeah," I said from beside him. "Apparently I still get to be his servant. Yay."

It had been several days since I'd been bitten by the spider. I'd slept for about a day and a half, and then I'd gotten bored. Malice had helped me sneak out of the hospital wing. Now we finally had a chance to talk.

"Well, there is one good thing that could come of this." Malice said quietly.

"Really? What?"

"Well, I guess I'd miss you if you left. I think you are the only sane person in this entire estate." Malice said. "If you leave, I would be surrounded by these lunatics."

I blushed, and then I grinned. "True. I couldn't do that to you. Besides, if I leave, Ghirahim would probably get himself killed within a day."

Malice stared at me, suddenly serious. "So...what exactly happened out there?" He asked. "It just doesn't sound like Ghirahim to carry a servant. I mean, I guess it makes sense that he preferred not to let you die, but to rush into the manor like that..." Malice trailed off. "What happened between you two?"

"Oh, you know..." I said.

"No. I actually don't." Malice looked at me.

"Well..." I stared off into the distance. "You know how you said he's afraid of heights?"

"Of course."

"Well, it turns out he doesn't like water either. He can't swim. I saved him from drowning, and I guess he decided he owed me. That's all." I confessed.

Malice stared at me in confusion. "You saved him?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"It's just..." Malice's eyes lowered to a place just south of my eyes. "Nothing."

"So..." I said. "Acrophobia _and_ hydrophobia. I guess Ghirahim isn't as fearless as he acts."

"I guess not." Malice agreed. "But I guess the water fear does make sense. I'm not exactly the strongest swimmer either."

"Don't worry," I assured him. "If you're ever drowning, I'll save you, too." I grinned. "Not like that would ever happen, of course."

"Right." Malice said, with a small smile lighting up his face. "Thanks."

Then he gave a mischievous look.

"So...what are _you _afraid of?" He asked.

I smirked back at him. "Wouldn't _you _like to know?"

Malice blinked. "Yes."

"Well..." I said. "Obviously I'm not crazy about spiders; especially now. But other than that, I can't really think of anything."

"Really? Malice exclaimed, surprised. "Doesn't anything even worry you?"

"Of course! Where do I start? Humiliation, failure, being alone. But one thing that really scares me is anything...unnatural. Like, to me, none of this is natural, but I've just kind of accepted it. But some stuff...like...I don't know how to explain it. Just the feeling that something is just..I don't know, _watching _you. And any enemy that doesn't talk or shows their emotions freaks me out. You have no idea if they are about to leave, fight you, kill you. Oh, and what _really _terrifies me is when you're alone, and it's dead silent, and you feel like something's there. You see a blur out of the corner of your eye, or catch the shift of a shadow. Something's there but it isn't. You know?" I asked.

Malice shook his head. "No, I guess I don't." A shadow crossed his face. "But I can imagine it. It sounds terrifying."

"Yeah," I glanced at the rising sun. "I should probably be getting back inside. I mean, we wouldn't want to tick off Ghirahim so soon, would we?" I asked.

"That'd probably be best." Malice agreed. He stood up, and walked to the edge of the roof. "See you later, then, Ocean."

* * *

I managed to sneak back into the hospital wing without anyone noticing. I had just laid down when I heard footsteps.

"Rise and shine, My Remilt. Your little rest is over." Ghirahim said, poking his head into my room.

"Ugh..." I said, sitting up. "What?"

"It's been several days. You've had more than enough time to recover. Now it is time to continue with your duties."

"Oh, joy." I muttered. I climbed out of bed, shivering and trembling from my time spent outside. Maybe not my best idea.

"Come." Ghirahim said, leading me out of the room.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"You'll see." He said.

We walked for a while, going down a series of twists and turns. Eventually, we reached a large, open room. The wooden roof towered at least 50 feet above us. The room had a hard stone floor. A clump of straw targets were laid in a pile at the back wall. Several wooden targets were strewn around them, with a rack of old weapons to the right.

"Where are we?" I asked. Ghirahim grinned madly.

"This..." He said, throwing out his arms, "...is the training hall!"

"Training?"

"Well," Ghirahim said, getting a sword from the rack. "If you're going to fight for me, then you need to know how to fight. Not like that pathetic slashing of yours, but _real _sword fighting."

"Who won our fight again? Oh yeah, that's right. ME." I retorted.

Ghirahim fixed me with a hard look, but then laughed.

"Our fight? Oh, my poor, innocent little Remlit. That was no fight! That was me playing and toying with you. If we were in a real fight, I wouldn't be so..._merciful_. No, it would take you years of back breaking, bone snapping, hard training for you to even come close to standing a chance against me." Ghirahim said with a smirk.

"Right. Anyway, what kind of training are we talking about?" I asked.

Ghirahim gave me the sword. "Try to hit me." He commanded.

Without hesitation, I swung my sword at his arm. With startling reflexes, Ghirahim darted out of the way.

"Pathetic." He said.

"Shut up." I said in irritation, swinging my sword at him again. He caught the weapon with ease, and then struck my wrist with his free hand. I yelped, dropping my sword to the floor. Ghirahim sneered as I bent to pick it up.

"Honestly, Sky Child, it's like you are shouting out your moves. Don't telegraph them so obviously." He scolded.

"You know," I said, spinning my sword. "I might do better with my actual sword. It feels more natural than this wooden stick."

"I'm afraid it would be unwise for me give you a way to actually hurt me." He said with an almost amused look at me. "The wooden stick will have to do for now."

"Fine." I swung my sword, changed directions, and struck him on the leg.

"Ha!" I exclaimed. Ghirahim shoved me over, and I landed in a less-than dignified pose on the floor. My sword clattered to the ground next to me, and Ghirahim picked it up before I could.

"Hey! What the heck?"

Ghirahim offered me a hand, but I stood up on my own. He blinked, but then cleared his throat.

"Don't celebrate a hit. Celebrate a true victory." He warned.

"Yeah. Says the guy who does a victory dance in the middle of a battlefield." I said with a disbelieving laugh. I couldn't believe I was having this talk with Debbie the Drama King (Wait, no, Queen, definitely Queen).

"I have never done such a thing." He sniffed.

"Yeah you have! I've seen it!" I protested.

"Name one instance."

"Well...um..." I hesitated. How was I supposed to explain that I'd played as him in Hyrule Warriors, where he would dance around like the little Harlequin that he was? I mean, in the game, I could name at least a dozen times where I'd lost several hearts just because he'd decided to pose after a powerful move.

"I don't know." I thought for a moment. "What about when you licked your sword after hitting me?"

"That was not necessarily a celebration. It was merely part of my strategy." Ghirahim corrected. "I lick my blade to unnerve my enemies. The sight inflicts a pang of fear, does it not? This gives me a chance to strike them while they're off-guard." He poked the sword against my throat. "There is no bigger advantage than holding fear above your enemy."

"Oh." I said, swallowing. "I...didn't think about it that way."

"Obviously." Ghirahim twirled the sword before handing it to me.

"Sword fighting is not just a physical challenge, but a trial of the mind as well." He explained, gently tapping my head. "Now, next time you strike me, follow up. Don't worry, it's just a wooden sword. I can take it."

"Okay." The words had barely left my mouth before I was swinging at him again. He raised his hand to catch the sword. I switched directions once again, but he caught on to my strategy. His hand was there to block my sword before I even got close.

"Wit is only half of the battle." Ghirahim continued. "The other half is speed and strength. And, unfortunately for you, you are both slow and weak."

"No I'm not!" I protested.

"For a human, perhaps you are somewhat adequate, but compared to the weakest demon...you are _nothing._"

"Oh yeah? Well...shut up!" I said, face burning. "You big, stupid...jerk!"

"Make me. Your words bounce off of my skin like rubber. That's where we differ, Sky Child. I have known pain unlike anything your small mind could ever imagine. But you...you've lived an easy life. I can tell by just looking at your childish face. What did your elders do to punish you? A harsh scolding? Perhaps a few lost privileges for a day or two, before they go right back to spoiling you?" He jeered, glaring down at me.

"That's not true." I muttered.

"Do you want to know what my master did to punish me?" Ghirahim hissed. "Once he locked me in my room for a week, with no food, and one glass of water. Once, he held me underwater until I had all but fallen into the void, and then he pulled me out. Once, I threw my sword, and it got stuck in a tree. He forced me to climb to the top so I could retrieve it. Do you want to know what happened?"

"You don't have to—"

Ghirahim cut me off, his onyx eyes blazing. "I fell. I fell, and he laughed, just like everyone else." He spat.

"I dislocated my shoulder, among other injuries. Have you ever fell from a tree ten times your height? Can you imagine my pain?" He hissed. His hands were clenched.

"I...I..." I wasn't sure how to respond to that. Why was he telling me this? "Look, Ghira—"

"Once, I dropped a plate. Demise made me pick it up..." Ghirahim took off a glove. "With my _bare _hands."

Ghirahim revealed his palm. His hand was pale and covered in rough callouses and scars. Several of them stretched across his hand, and it wasn't hard to believe that they'd been made by broken glass. I winced, feeling sympathy crash over me.

"Oh my gosh...Ghirahim..." I trailed off, and reached out to touch his hand. I wasn't sure what I was going to do; maybe take his hand, or do _something_ that showed I felt bad for him. It just seemed to be appropriate.

I didn't have to decide though, because he jerked away.

"Don't touch me, Servant." He snapped. I flinched, my sympathy replaced by annoyance.

"You know, I don't get you. I was just trying to be nice, and yet you push me away every time. Why can't you just understand that I'm trying to help?" I asked, feeling hurt.

Ghirahim glared right back. "I didn't _ask _you for your help. Besides if anyone is being difficult to understand, it's you. How am I to understand where your loyalties lie if you always go from being sarcastic and stoic, to pretending you actually care for me?"

"I don't know..."

"Huh..." Ghirahim smiled a bit. "Having some ambivalent feelings towards me, are you?"

"NO!" I said defensively.

"I suppose, whose to blame me? Who can resist me? And yet, I go and do something like this. Do my insults sting? Do my actions hurt you, little girl?" Ghirahim drawled. I glared at him, anger and confusion swirling around in my head like a tornado.

"No. They don't. I'm a very tough person. I'm just...just allergic to mean, inconsiderate _jerks._" I shot back. Hylia was wrong. Ghirahim _was _evil. I tried to show compassion, and how does he repay me? With cruel words glazed with a condescending tone. He was enjoying taking these little stabs at me; I could see it in his eyes.

"What? Is that a _tear_ I see? Are you going to cry for me, Little Remlit?" Ghirahim walked towards me with a menacing look in his eye. "I suppose that is to be expected, seeing that your entire race is a weak, mewling bunch of pathetic mutts. Your people will never understand pain like we have. So while you cry about how the big, bad demon hurt your feelings, perhaps you can think about all the other demons who are mourning the loss of loved ones—and yes, we_ do _have them—because of the despicable goddess you mindlessly worship. You could think about those who starved to death, not having enough resources to feed themselves in these ruined lands, razed by Hylia herself. First she seals away our leader, and then she forces us into hiding in a land impossible to farm, with scorched earth and unpredictable weather. So, Sky Child, next time you cry over the meager, insubstantial problems plaguing Hylia's people, why don't you think about the problems they caused for us?"

Ghirahim stopped so that we were face to face, inches away from each other.

"I'm not gonna..." I trailed off, my voice trembling. I took a deep breath. I didn't understand why Ghirahim had decided to suddenly be so cruel, but there was little I could do about it. Whether he was a leader lamenting about the problems of his realm, or just another cruel demon, I couldn't be sure. But one thing that I _did _know was that I couldn't let him get to me. He obviously just wanted to get a rise out of me, and I would not give him that satisfaction.

"Ghirahim, whether or not your words against Hylia's people are true, you are still wrong about one thing: I don't care what you say; nothing you do will ever make me cry. You may be tough, but you underestimate me. Now, as I recall, we were training. May we _please _get back to that?" I asked, staring up at him defiantly. I had a small seed of worry that he would take my statement as a challenge, but there was part of me that didn't care. After all, I hadn't cried in over two years. I would always find a way to keep my cool. After years of being called emotional, and after dozens of times crying in front of classmates at the most ridiculous things, I had made a decision: I refused to cry. As much as I wanted too, most times I could just take deep breaths, and shove my emotions into the deepest part of my heart. That way, no one could really hurt me. No one could tell if there words bothered me, because I hid my true emotions instead of blatantly showing them. If I was sad, I smiled. If I was happy, I smiled. If I was bored; if I was in pain—I smiled. Over the years, I'd learned to smile through anything. And that's what I did now.

Ghirahim flared his nostrils, and then looked away.

"Fine. Drop your sword. I want to teach you hand-to-hand combat." He ordered with a sigh.

I obeyed immediately. Ghirahim laced his fingers behind his back.

"Now. If you don't have a sword—which you don't—the only option left is to fight with your hands. Punch me." He said.

I didn't need to be told twice. I thrust out a fist. Ghirahim caught it.

"No, seriously, Sky Child. Hit me. Punch me. I can take it." He said.

I punched again. My hand stung as it connected with his palm.

"No. No, you are doing it _wrong_." Ghirahim interrupted. He took my hand and turned it over. "Punch with your two largest knuckles angled forward." He ordered. "And keep tension in your legs and abdomen. Throw yourself forward with each strike."

I tried this new technique and struck Ghirahim's hand with all my might.

"Harder."

I tried again.

"_Harder._" He insisted.

Again, I swung my fist.

"HARDER!"

"I'M TRYING!" I punched forward with every bit of strength I had left. The feeling was unnatural. I wasn't used to hitting anything this hard; I was afraid of breaking something.

Ghirahim's hand jerked back at the impact, and he almost struck himself in the face. I beamed; that must count for _something_, right?

"Well," Ghirahim said. "That was still pathetic. But it was still better than what many other Skyloftians could do."

"Great. And by the way, I actually _like _Skyloftians, so..."

"They are weak. All of you are." He said, slipping his glove back on.

"You know what? Fight me." I said dryly. It was an all-purpose statement, and the only one I could think of. And it was incredibly stupid.

A small smile crossed Ghirahim's face. "Well..." He summoned his Stygian rapier. "If you insist."

Horror swamped over me. "Wait, what? No! I didn't mean it! It's just an expression!" I said.

Ghirahim held out a familiar looking sword to me. I looked at it, and swallowed in fear. There, in the demon lord's hands, was my own sword from Skyloft. He was serious.

"Sky Child! Don't just stand there, staring as if you're dumb! Take it and face me!"

"Um..." I took the weapon. "Okay. But...you won't hurt me, will you?"

Ghirahim gave me a long look. "I make no promises."

"Fair enough." I rolled my shoulders. En garde!"

We circled around each other for several seconds. Then, Ghirahim made the first move. He swung his sword horizontally, and with fumbling fingers, I managed to block it.

"So you managed to block me. Well done." He said.

"Thanks. Now die!" I swung my sword at him, and he stopped it with ease. He swung his sword once again, and I deflected the blow. Quick as a flash, he flicked his wrist and tapped the point against my side.

"Hey!" I exclaimed.

"You'll have to be quicker than that." He warned.

I swung my sword at him, and then again. I slashed at him over and over, but he blocked each time. Frustrated, I took one last swing at him.

The demon staggered at the impact and winced, examining his fingers.

"Ha! I did it!" I exclaimed, and jumped back. Unfortunately, I am, well, _me,_ so I chose this moment to land funny. I nearly fell, and Ghirahim surged forward. I managed to raise my sword just in time, catching him under the eye with the point. He gasped and clutched his face.

My eyes widened, and I dropped my weapon. "I'm so sorry! Are you okay?" I asked nervously, approaching him cautiously. As I got closer, a small smile crossed his face, and he darted out a hand. He sent out a pulse of red magic, and I went flying back several feet.

"Ooof!" I exclaimed, the wind knocked out of me as I landed in a heap on the pile of straw dummies, which burst as I crushed them.

"Never show mercy or weakness. The moment you show compassion to a foe, you will find yourself at your downfall." Ghirahim warned, stalking towards me.

"Now." He bent down to look at me as I lay, sprawled, on the destroyed targets. "What have you learned today?"

I spat out a mouthful of straw. "That your a big, stupid—"

"Wrong!" Ghirahim snapped, and we appeared in the entrance hall. Ghirahim cleared his throat. "I have a feeling that you are tired. I would like to train some more, but I suppose you should rest."

He walked towards the flight of stairs leading to the next floor.

"Come."

I followed him in curiosity.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"You'll see." He promised.

I never liked the ambiguity of that kind of answer—especially with him—but my curiosity got the best of me, and I followed him up the steps.

* * *

**So like I said, PLEASE FORGIVE ME for my procrastination, and I apologize in advance if I am late next week. But, anyway, please fav/follow, and PLEASE leave a review. You guys are AWESOME and doing a great job. 80 reviews already? I was betting on a max of 10! I LOVE YOU GUYS. AAAAANNNNYWAAAY...thanks for your support and I shall hopefully be updating on time. Well, as Ghira put it, 'I make no promises.' On that note, here's to another week of strange chaos. Cheers.**

**~Catwhiskers24~**


	27. Chapter 27: The War

**So...heh...I was _slightly _earlier this time, right. Yeah. I know. I'm really inconsistent. But between a rough patch of writer's block and my insane, stressful, yet interesting week, it took me a while. Anyway, I hope you forgive me! Yesterday everything kinda settled down. So anyway, here it is. A brand new, shiny chapter. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Legend of Zelda**

* * *

**Marissa POV**

"Could you _please_ just tell me where we're going?" I pleaded. Two things were racing around my mind:

One: Ghirahim just told me to follow him, and I had actually _listened._ When had I become so stupid?

Two: There were _way_ too many stairs leading to the next floor. I mean, the flight was at least four times the size of a normal set of stairs. I'll admit it, that may be a slight exaggeration, but there was still, like, an unbelievable number of steps. And I _hated _climbing the stairs.

"A new place. Be patient, Sky Child. You will see when we get there." Ghirahim responded in a cool tone.

"Wow. That really narrows it down, then." I muttered sarcastically.

We finally reached the next floor. Ghirahim led me down a long hallway, with elaborate lights hanging several feet above my head. The floor was adorned with a soft, velvet carpet.

I looked around in confusion. This place looked familiar, but I couldn't remember why.

We continued to walk, passing large oak doors on either side of the hall. Then it hit me: this was the hallway leading to Ghirahim's room. I remembered following Malice down this corridor that first night—the night of the storm.

"Wait, why are we here?" I asked. "Isn't this where your room is?"

Ghirahim glanced at me.

"Yes, it is. But that's not why we're here." Ghirahim answered, not looking at me.

"OK...then why..." I trailed off as he raised an arm for silence. We were at the end of the hallway. To our right towered a grand wooden door, with a large golden-encrusted doorknob. Red diamonds ringed the metal surface. I recognized it immediately as the entryway to his quarters.

"Uh...I'm a little confused right now." I confessed.

"Well, being you, that doesn't surprise me. But I suppose this particular situation is especially surprising. Very well, I shall explain." Ghirahim sighed, turning to the door. He pointed to the room.

"This is my sleeping quarters. You are not to enter them under any circumstance. Unless, of course, _I _give you permission. Though don't get your hopes up. I should warn you, the chances of that happening are quite slim." He went on. Then he turned to the left. At the back wall of the hallway stood another door. This frame was covered in dust, as if no one had opened it in years.

"That," He declared. "...will be _your_ room."

"Wait, _what_?" I exclaimed. "That's _my _room?"

Ghirahim rolled his eyes. "Yes. Congratulations, you can understand words in a sentence! Your parents must be _so _proud." He said dryly.

"I guess I'm just not entirely sure why you would give me a nice room with all these other nobles when I'm just a...a servant." I explained.

Ghirahim ran his hand over the handle of the new door. It wasn't quite as fancy as his; silver instead of gold, and blue jewels instead of red. The frame itself was much smaller.

"Well," Ghirahim said. "At this point, we must both admit that you are no longer necessarily a servant. You have a number of responsibilities on top of training. You will be..." Ghirahim paused, as if searching for the right words. "...different than the other members of this manor. Don't misunderstand—you are _not _a noble. But there is no room for you in the servant quarters, and I can't have you complaining about a stiff back. This will have to do for now." He glanced at me with one of his characteristic smirks. "Besides, I may need your cell for _real _prisoners." He said, moistening his lips with his unnaturally long tongue.

I scowled, looking away.

"Have I told you how creepy you are yet?"

"Nope." He lied.

"Well you're creepy!" I growled.

Ghirahim waved the comment away.

"Anyhow, this is your room. I trust you would like to see the interior?" He inquired.

"Yeah. I actually would." I admitted. Ghirahim opened the door, and I rolled my eyes as he insisted on letting me go first. I 'd never realized that gentlemanly behavior could be _this _annoying.

But my annoyance faded as soon as I saw the inside of my new room.

"Damn." I breathed, looking around. "This is actually really cool!"

The room was huge; at least four times as big as my one at home. The walls were white, with a black-and-red diamond pattern painted at the top. The ceiling was covered in intricate textures of swirls and curves. Small light fixtures held candles around the room, giving it a decent light.

A large queen-sized bed was set against the wall near a circular window. The comforter of the bed was of course, a black and white diamond pattern. The fabric looked surprisingly soft. And of course, this is a fancy manor, so the headboard was very intricate, with a similar texture as the ceiling carved into its surface. Besides that, it had probably a dozen pillows. Four normal sized pillows were stacked in two piles against the headboard. Six small, square decorative pillows were spaced about the top of the mattress. And two of those cylindrical, fancy pillows sat in front if the normal-sized ones. Best of all, the angle of the bed allowed you to see out the window if you laid in the right position.

The window itself had blue, diamond-printed curtains. I immediately knew I would like the window because the frame was very wide, and the glass was placed almost two feet from the edge. I could easily lie in the indent. I won't lie—I've always wanted a window like this. But, of course, I wasn't about to let Ghirahim know that.

Said demon cleared his throat. "Well?"

"What?" I asked, turning to face him.

"What do you think?" He gestured to the room around me.

"It's amazing." I confessed. "I like it."

Ghirahim smiled, puffing out his chest. "I knew you would love it."

"The one that I still don't get is..." I stared at the intricate décor. "Why are all the other rooms full while this giant one is empty?"

It may have been my imagination, but I think Ghirahim blushed a little. "Interesting question. You see, I had been saving this room for..." He cleared his throat. "Sky Child, you are neither a complete servant or a noble. Because of this, I was at a complete loss for where to put you." Ghirahim leaned against the door-frame a bit awkwardly. "Your exact position in this manor remains to be seen, but I have decided that for the time being, you may take residence in this room. Not to mention, this way I can keep a closer eye on you." His smile grew on his last sentence, and I shivered, not liking the sound of that.

Ghirahim turned to leave. "Dinner should be ready in two hours. I will be back to retrieve you. In the meantime, I have work to do. You may have this time to yourself." He began to walk out, and then stopped. "In case you have forgotten, my room is the one to the right of yours. If you need anything, please, _hesitate_ to ask."

"I'm pretty sure you said that wrong." I muttered.

"Oh?" Ghirahim smirked. "Did I?"

I let out a huff of frustration and turned to look at my room once again. Suddenly, I noticed a door near the back of the left wall.

"Hey, what's that for?" I asked.

Ghirahim stopped and looked back, following my gaze.

"Oh, right." Ghirahim pointed towards the mysterious door. "The one on the left leads to your private washroom."

"Wow." I remarked. "Fancy."

"Will that be all?" Ghirahim asked, an edge of impatience in his voice.

"Y-Yeah." I cleared my throat. "Hey Ghirahim?"

"What?"

"Thanks" I said. "I really appreciate this."

Ghirahim opened his mouth as if to say something, but he seemed to change his mind. With a brisk nod, the noble left the room.

_Now..._ I thought. _What to do?_

It occurred to me that I didn't really have _anything_ to do. I sighed, and moved to the window. I laid in the indentation, which was the perfect width for me.

Yes...that's what this room was. Perfect. But why didn't these big, luxurious quarters feel like it?

* * *

**Ghirahim's POV**

I sat up, rubbing my eyes. Two bloody hours of rooting through all the ancient works I could get my hands on, and I was no closer to discovering the Spirit Maiden's next location. But I _had _to find out. I would have to report to my Master in a few days, and I needed _something _good to report. As it was, Demise would be furious that I'd failed in my first attempt to capture the girl. I shivered just thinking about the punishment he would have in store for me.

I clenched my fists. Why did the servant girl have to ruin my plans? This was all her fault. Any cruel punishments I received from my master would be because of her. And that was reason enough for me to hate her.

And yet...the feeling I had towards her was not simply hate. If I hated her, I wouldn't like her smile. If I hated her, I wouldn't have gone out of my way to save her miserable life. Twice! And I most definitely wouldn't have given her the room that had been reserved for any woman suitor I'd seen fit to be my future bride.

Unfortunately, I doubt I will find anyone soon. All the female demons in the manor who'd tried to woo me had all just succeeded in annoying me. They were all the same: A group of blushing, pretty woman who try to win me over by their looks alone. They act polite, but the second you stop spoiling them, they become cold as ice. Besides that, I knew that for the most part, all of them only wished to wed me for the power and privileges they would be given. Besides, I was busy enough without a woman to distract me. No, I wouldn't think of such petty matters until Demise was revived.

Besides, it had been Leal's idea to move the girl to the room. He had once again brought up the matter of choosing a bride, so naturally I had attempted to change the subject. I had mentioned my problem with the servant girl, and that was when he had suggested giving her the room.

"As long as it's vacant, you might as well let her have it. After all, you aren't doing yourself any favors by turning her against you. If you do something nice for her, she may warm up to you." He had reasoned.

While I doubted that giving her an adequate living space would make her suddenly adore me, he was right in that having her angry with me wouldn't do me any good.

I thought back to the girl's betrayal. Why did it bother me so much? After all, I had never thought her loyal to me, but I still had never expected her to _stab _me.

I sighed, standing up. After years and years of sweating and bleeding to revive my master, I was letting a _girl, _a measly _human, _get in my way?

No. I would not lose sight of my goal. After all this time, reviving Demise seemed to be my life's purpose. And there was no way I'd let..._Ocean..._get in my way.

I heard a knock on my door.

"Yes, what is it?" I called.

"Dinner is ready, My Lord." Leal's voice sounded from outside.

"Very well." I called.

I shoved my notes underneath my bed and opened my door. I headed to the girl's room.

"Sky Child? Dinner is ready." I called, leaving before I could hear her answer.

Her door opened, and she emerged into the light of the hallway.

"Okay." She said, falling into step with me.

"Now," I led the way downstairs. "It is understandable that you may be shy among the other nobles, but I ask that you try to be friendly. Many of them don't approve of keeping a human in a demon lord's manor, but they may change their minds if you seem intelligent."

"So...I have to get them to _like _me?" She asked in surprise.

"You don't need them to love you, but just stop them from hating you. Make conversation. Pretend to be interested in their lives." I suggested.

"But I don't know any of them! And I don't understand half of what they are talking about!" The girl protested, staring at me nervously. "I don't like talking to...people. I mean, OK sometimes I don't mind, but I'm shy! I don't want to have the attention of a dozen full grown demons."

"Well get used to it. They are going to want to know my new trainee. After all, you may end up fighting alongside some of them." I pointed out. I looked at the girl, who was pale with nervousness, her light blue eyes stretched wide.

"Oh..." She swallowed. "Great. Let's do this."

* * *

**Marissa's POV**

"So...um..." I looked around the table. I glanced to my left, where Ghirahim sat at the head of the table. He gestured for me to go on. "I guess I never really introduced myself. My name is Ocean. I guess I'm Ghirahim's newest trainee so..." I swallowed, feeling over a dozen large pairs of eyes staring at me in a rainbow of colors. I lowered my head, finishing. "...so, um, hi."

"Hello." A demon across the table said. "I am Platnox. I, for one, think it is a pleasure to have you here. It will be nice to have someone to..._entertain_ Lord Ghirahim, if you know what I mean.

Ghirahim's eyes bulged, and he nearly choked on a bite of potato, breaking into a fit of coughs.

"Oh, I'm not..." I trailed off, feeling my cheeks burn in embarrassment.

"You misunderstand. We are strictly in a professional relationship." Ghirahim put in, clearing his throat.

"A _relationship_, you say?" Platnox asked, twitching an eyebrow.

"Why don't you let the _other lords_ have a turn, hm?" Ghirahim broke in.

Platnox reluctantly sat back. The other demons all introduced themselves one-by-one. It wasn't actually that awkward, until the last one tried to return to the topic of my relationship with their leader.

"Well, uh..." I glanced around the table, searching for a something to distract the conversation from this particular topic. "Hey, what's that?" I asked, pointing to a dish that looked like a small chicken.

"Oh, that's cucoo. The cooks are very skilled at cooking it." One of the demons answered.

"I bet. Could you please pass it to me?" I asked, trying to use my best manners.

All conversation ceased as soon as I spoke.

_Oh crap_, I thought. _What have I done now?_

The demons exchanged confused looks. Then Platnox spoke up. "Aren't all Skyloftians vegetarian?" He asked.

_Crap. _I thought, along with a dozen other swear words that I probably shouldn't mention. Way to blow your cover, Marissa.

I glanced around the table, surprised and yet impressed that these nobles knew so much about the culture of the other race.

I stared at my plate. I could feel everyone's eyes boring into my head, and I would bet anything that Ghirahim was giving me that suspicious, cold calculating look.

"Well, I guess most of us are, yeah. But I'm kind of new there. I grew up on a far away island, where most people aren't as strict about being vegetarians. I just moved to Skyloft to become a knight." I explained. I knew it was a terrible explanation, but most of them seemed to accept it. I settled on taking a little salad anyway, though I doubted I could eat it. The strange tension was ruining my appetite.

I cleared my throat, ready to change the subject again.

"Enough about me." I said. "So...what do you guys do for fun around here?"

"Fun?" Someone echoed.

"Yeah. You know, _fun. _Stuff you do just because you want to." I said, looking around.

Ghirahim spoke up. "We don't have time for such foolishness." He growled. He stared at his plate bitterly. "You will learn as you mature that there are higher priorities than your own entertainment."

Well duh, of course I knew that. But I also knew that even adults took the time to kick back and enjoy themselves once in a while.

"Oh, come on." I said in disbelief. "There must be _something_! Sports? Pranks? Games? Singing? Dancing? _Reading_ at least?" I ask, my voice rising in desperation. In such a big mansion there is no way you should have to be bored, right?

Ghirahim and the other demons thought for a moment.

"Well," one of them chimed in. "There is the occasional ball held at one of the neighboring manors. Those can get interesting."

"Really. That's it?" I asked.

"If that's so boring, what do _you_ do for fun?" Ghirahim challenged, though he didn't sound genuinely interested; twirling his fork in boredom.

"Oh look! They're having an argument. That's cute." The first demon exclaimed, a taunting look on his face.

"Shut up Platnox." Ghirahim said, fed up.

Then Platnox turned to me. "So? Are you going to answer the question?"

"Well..." I said. A perfectly despicable idea came to mind, and it was beautiful. But I knew it was a bad idea. It would really tick off Ghirahim. But then again, he seems more patient with me than I had expected. Still...did I really want to test that patience?

Maybe that was exactly what I had to do. I had to test my boundaries a bit, so that I'd know just how much I could toy with him before he snapped.

"Well..." I said again. "For starters..._this!_" I flung a spoonful of soup at Ghirahim, laughing as it hit him in the face.

"YOU LITTLE _BRAT!_" He shrieked, his chair squeaking as he jumped up. He lunged forward, as if to attack me. But then he seized a plate of red gelatin and sent it spiraling towards me. I screamed in amused surprise, and just barely dodged it. I tossed something green and squishy at Platnox, who in turn threw his plate of chicken at another demon across the table.

Perfect. My plan had worked better than I'd thought.

"FOOD FIGHT!" I screeched, throwing a handful of salad at Malice. The small demon had been standing at the edge of the room, waiting to serve. But the look on his face when the greens covered his front...

Now I know what you're thinking: how would a shy, goody-two-shoes teen _ever_ summon the courage to start a food fight in an expensive manner? The answer was simple: I really didn't care what anyone thought. In my opinion, as long as I was here, the worst that could happen is Ghirahim killing me. And after seeing his previous examples of restraint, I doubted he would execute me over this.

As I watched, a yellow ball of something or another was hurled at Ghirahim, and he stumbled back, tripping over his chair. I doubled over laughing, and nearly fell myself.

Someone took this opportunity to throw a dessert at me. I stumbled back, cream dripping down the side of my head. My hair was probably filthy. I laughed even harder at this. By now, everyone had joined in. Laughs and yells filled the dinner as sophisticated nobles covered each other in food like little six graders.

For about five minutes, everything was golden. Everyone was enjoying themselves. Everyone. Smiles all around. Not a frown in sight. And then, as quickly as it started, it ended.

"Enough!" Ghirahim shouted. He turned to me. "Your foolish antics have ruined my dining room. I hope you are happy."

"Extremely." I chirped.

I thought I saw a small smile flash across Ghirahim's face, but it was gone in an instant.

"You are to clean this all up. I want every morsel of food gone by the time I get back." He commanded with a sigh.

"Okay." I agreed, too satisfied to argue. Ghirahim led the way out of the room, with all the other nobles right behind. As I watched, Platnox turned to look at me and winked. I smiled back faintly.

One of the cooks supplied me with a small rag to begin cleaning. I stared at the mess. The dining room was completely destroyed; all the walls covered in foods of all colors. I might as well start now. This would take a while.

"Need some help?" I turned around to see Malice holding a mop.

I grinned and nodded. "Yeah. Thanks."

Malice began to clean the floor. "You know, for a human, you actually know how to have a good time." He remarked, flashing me a small smile.

"Is that right?" I asked. Then I grinned. "How do you like wearing salad?"

Malice's smile grew, and he posed. "I think I make it work."

"Oh yeah. Totally." I agreed.

We laughed and continued to clean. I looked at Malice. So, Ghirahim may be more or less of a friend than enemy, but Malice was definitely my friend. And for now, that would be enough.

* * *

**Well, there it is. That was fun to write. Anyway, so sorry it took so long, but things _should _get better. I promise I will work really hard to update before next Sunday evening. I would really appreciate it if you left a review, and favs/follows are also awesome! You guys are doing amazing! I love all the support. Well, good luck, and I hope life has and will continue to treat you well. Adios!**

**~CatWhiskers24~**


	28. Chapter 28: Spell It Out To Me

**Soooorrrrrryyyyyy I was soooo close. I almost had it done yesterday, but something came up. And by something I mean I wanted to try out the new Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate. What's more romantic than slaughtering monsters? That reminds me. Happy Valentine's day! 3 I'm sorry but this isn't a Valentine's day themed chapter. I would've made one, but we aren't to that point yet. So here's the next normal chapter. Hopefully I can post two this weekend, and maybe the other will be Valentine's Day themed. Well, here's the next chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own LOZ.**

* * *

**Marissa's POV**

"Ugh. This is taking _forever!_" I exclaimed, crossly throwing down my food-stained rag. "At the rate we're going, we'll be at this until next year!"

We'd been working for at least an hour, and the extravagant dining room was still scarcely half-clean.

"Yeah. Perhaps you should talk to the person who started a huge food fight in a dining room full of priceless furniture." Malice said dryly, wiping his forehead with the back of his hand.

"Oh, shut up." I muttered, hating to admit that he had a point.

The small demon started to work on a large green stain on one of the back walls. I groaned. There _had _to be some way to speed this up. But I doubted anyone else would want to help. And what other option was there? Somehow make the mess just magically disappear?

Wait. I could do that. Well, Malice could anyway.

"Hey Al," I called over to him.

"Hmm?"

"You're a demon, right?" I asked.

"Well, er, yeah. Of course I am." He turned to face me. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, doesn't that mean you have some sort of magical powers? You know, like Ghirahim?" I pressed.

Malice thought for a moment. "Yes, I suppose it does. Most demons do have a least some degree of magic." He lowered his gaze. "Although, my powers have nowhere near the strength of Ghirahim's dark magic. I specialize in creating fields of energy and magic barriers, but other than that, I'm pretty bad at using them for practical purposes like this. It takes a lot of training for magic to be useful. Unfortunately, I'm just a servant. I'm no more educated than a peasant in the poorest village."

Malice stared at his hands wistfully, as if grieving over the weak magic flowing through his veins.

I wasn't sure what to say, so I just changed the topic.

"Hey, well at least it's just the dining room." I reasoned. "Besides, now we have something to do this afternoon."

Malice shrugged. "I guess so. I just wish we could use magic to speed this up."

"Yeah, that would definitely be preferable. But I guess we'll just have to get by without." I said, turning back to the table. Knowing that it was no use to sit and chat idly, I began scrubbing at the polished wood, trying to remove a dried patch of gelatin.

"Unless..." Malice began.

I turned to face him. "Unless what?"

"Unless..." He moved towards me. "When you described what happened at Skyview Temple, you said that Ghirahim chained you against a wall, yes?"

I stared at Malice, extremely confused on where he was going with this. "Umm...yeah..."

Malice grinned. "And you said that you somehow broke from the chains with a...a _blue flash_, right?"

"I think so. But I don't see where..." My eyes widened. "Oh, Al, I don't think...I mean...there was no way _I _did that! I'm just a regular Amer—er, I mean Skyloftian." I paused, waiting for him to demand what I was about to say. But luckily he was too deep in thought.

"But you're _not." _Malice insisted_._ "Ocean, not just anyone can fight Ghirahim without being mortally injured. And I have yet to see anyone trick him like you have. With the situations you've survived, I think you have something more than just good luck on your side. I think you're special."

My cheeks burned in embarrassment. "Aww, Al, you're sweet. But everyone's spec—"

"That's not what I mean. I mean, yeah, you are special. But something about you is just...different. In a good way of course." Malice was pacing a bit. "I mean, I think you are down here for a reason. Sure, maybe Ghirahim capturing you was an accident. But maybe...maybe it wasn't just a coincidence. What if you're part of something bigger?"

I stared at Malice. "I'm pretty sure..."

Malice shook his head. "When I was young, my parents told me that the Goddesses always have a plan. They say everything happens for a reason, that every event is part of something more important." Malice stared me straight in the eye, and I was surprised by the way his intense orange irises looked like a pair of blazing, amber flames. "Whatever this...this _plan _is, I think it you. No, I'm _sure _it involves you."

My mouth dropped in shock. There was no way Malice knew about the prophecy, was there? But his theory had supported the suspicions I'd been having. So I was here for a reason. But what was it?

I was beginning to feel uncomfortable with this conversation about my importance, so I decided to change the subject again. "So, what does me being 'special' have to do with cleaning the dining room?" I asked casually.

Malice stopped pacing. "Well, if you were able to break out of those chains, maybe you have a little bit of magic. Maybe you could..?"

I looked around. Then I sighed. "Well, screw it. It's not like I have anything to lose, right?"

Malice nodded encouragement.

I blinked at the mess around the room. It occurred to me that even if I _had_ used magic before, I'd never done it intentionally. I glanced at Malice. "So...um...how exactly do you use magic on purpose? Do I need a wand or something?" I asked.

Malice shrugged. "Er...I've never heard of anyone using a wand. Anyway, whenever I try to use magic, I just end up picturing what I want done."

I stared at him blankly.

"So...like...imagine the dining room clean?"

"Yeah." Malice clarified.

"Right. Okay..." I looked around, and then, closing my eyes, I imagined the walls and floor being free from the hideous remains of food; I imagined the carpet free of stains.

I don't know how long I sat there. I just know that it seemed like nothing was happening.

"Is it working?" I called.

"Well...sort of..." Malice answered.

I tried for a few more seconds before coming upon the realization that something wasn't right. It felt like any magic I was trying to use was trapped in my mind; kind of like potential energy. It seemed as if I needed to do something to put it in motion. Maybe that was what Ghirahim was doing when he snapped...

NO. There was NO way I was doing that. I refused to act even a tenth as flamboyant as he did. But I realized I didn't have much choice.

I sighed. I couldn't believe I was doing this. I raised my hand, swallowed my pride, and with a wince, I snapped my fingers.

"Did it work?" I asked, my eyes still closed.

"No." Malice regretfully informed me. My shoulders slumped. I'll admit, I hadn't actually expected it to work, but I guess there was a part of me that secretly hoped it would.

"Well, I guess we should get back to—" I was cut off by a gasp of amazement from Malice.

"What?" I asked, opening my eyes. I was forced to gasp as well at what met my eyes.

A cloud of blue was spiraling up from my hand like a plume of smoke. It blew across the room, as if it were being swept away by a gust of invisible wind. As I watched, a branch of the essence brushed against a clump of who-knows-what that was stuck to a wall. On contact, the food immediately dissolved into the smoke.

"What in the...[insert hushed exclamation of wonder here]..." I gasped.

The azure steam moved about the room. Every time a tendril of the smoke touched a food stain on the walls, ceiling, or floor, the surface was immediately cleansed.

"Wow..." I breathed.

"You did it." Malice remarked in awe.

"Yeah."

We continued to watch in shock as the dining room cleaned itself with the help of the cerulean cloud.

Soon, the table looked good as new. The walls and ceiling were all but spotless. All evidence of the aggressive food fight had almost faded.

As the last imperfection faded from the wall, the smoke began to dissipate into thin air. I watched my magic disappear, and a small smile pulled at my lips.

"Well, well, well, Sky Child. You are just _full_ of surprises there, aren't you?"

I froze at the sound of the cool voice that I'd come to know and fear. Whirling around, I came to face Ghirahim. The demon was leaning against the wall, a pleasantly surprised look gracing his sharp facial features. His thin white lips were twisted up in a plotting smirk.

"And here _I_ thought you had no more tricks up your sleeve." Ghirahim said with a chuckle, shaking his head in a way that both made me afraid, and made his white hair fall across his face. "I suppose I should have known better."

I swallowed, stiff as a thief caught in the act.

"I...er..." Ghirahim held up his hand.

"Now, servant, this is nothing to be _ashamed _of. In fact, this is excellent news. Magic powers are an excellent thing for my personal guard to have." Ghirahim said, almost sounding like he was gloating.

"_Personal guard?_"

Ghirahim strode forward and placed a hand on my cheek. I flinched, trying to back away.

"But of course, dear girl. If you were willing to test my patience like that, you must trust me not to hurt you. I suppose I should respect that. And that is why I have decided I must do the same." Ghirahim looked me straight in the eye "I have made you my royal bodyguard. Your job is to stay at my side, to be constantly alert for danger, and, if need be, fight for me. In other words, I am trusting you with my life."

I stared at him, shocked. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. And then it all made sense. Ghirahim knew trust and moral were important to me. If he made me responsible for his safety, if he trusted me with his life, then anything I did to harm him would be abusing that trust.

I stared at Ghirahim, and he smirked even wider. He was clever. _Very clever._

"Great." I said. "Then...what next?"

Ghirahim lowered his hand and rested it on my shoulder.

"Good question." He glanced around the room. There is no arguing it: You have a bit of magic, even if it _is_ extremely weak. Now, if it is going to be any use to us, you will need practice."

Ghirahim backed up, and turned to leave.

"We start new training tomorrow." He called over his shoulder.

Malice and I exchanged a shocked look, and then watched him leave, too stunned to speak.

Then Malice broke the silence.

"What have I done?"

* * *

**Another one down! Yay! Well, anyway, please remember to fav/follow if you would like. We're almost at 100 reviews WOW! I'm so happy! Anyway, until next time (Which may be tomorrow or Monday). Well, love all you guys! Bye!**

**~Catwhiskers24~**


	29. Bonus Chapter1: My Favorite Pastime

**So...er...this is a TINY chapter. Really Small. Like Seriously. But I wrote it a long time ago, and I wasn't sure where to put it. I decided to make it my first bonus chapter. **

** Basically, once in a while, if I get a really random idea for a chapter, I'll post it as a bonus one. It won't have much to do with the plot, and I'll only put them in once we're past the point where they will spoil something. Any that I don't post in the middle of the story, I will post at the end. Think of them like deleted scenes. So, this one for example, would take place at about the time of the last few chapters. I just never decided where EXACTLY to put it, but I HAD to include it. **

**Moving on, I've already started the next real chapter, and that MIGHT be ready today, but I make no promises. I should be able to get it to you before next Monday though. Thanks to all of you who faved/followed. 92 reviews! I never thought I'd see the day! YAASSS**

**Disclaimer: So, as per usual, I don't...*SOBS*...I don't own LOZ. Nor do I own any of the songs I included in this chapter, or, for that matter, any of the book really. I don't write my own songs; you really do NOT want to see that. That would be something...**

** What? There's MUSIC? Well, this _is _a LOZ fic, so ya. Music's a big part of it; especially in later chapters. Our MC Marissa is a bit of a music nerd, (hence playing clarinet, obsession with LOZ series, etc...) so she makes a lot of music references, with some other pop culture references. You'll notice that she often listens to music when she gets into a tough mental state of mind. Anyway, HOT DANG! This was a looonggg A/N. SORRY! I'll let you read my pathetically short chapter now, K? K.**

* * *

**Marissa's POV**

After several days of being Ghirahim's servant, I was losing my mind. For one thing, it was always, 'Hey servant, do this! Do that! Fetch this! Get me that!'

It was _horrible._ Pure torture. I mean, I actually enjoy doing favors for people, but this was getting to be ridiculous! He was treating me like a servant or something.

Oh wait. Right.

Anyway, flat out defying him didn't work, and neither did trying to escape. I had learned _that_ the hard way.

I was starting to get really bored, too. While I was constantly being ordered around throughout the day, I still didn't have much to do. Ghirahim went about his business for most of the morning and afternoon, ordering around his servants. Then, in the evening, he would wrap up the day's work.

Currently, he was doing some sort of paperwork in the dining room. So, basically, my only options were sitting here in my room, twiddling my thumbs, braiding and unbraiding my hair, or pacing. So naturally, being me, I was bored beyond measure. All my nervous and normal hyperactive energy was stored up inside, making me uncomfortable. Pacing helped, but it wasn't enough.

I'd always almost been ADHD, constantly being distracted and _way _to energetic. My knee constantly had a twitch in it when I was sitting down. And when I _was _just sitting quietly—or doing anything for that matter—I always had hundreds of thoughts banging around in my mind. Usually a song was stuck in my head, too. Between this and my nature to be a bit OCD, I struggled to concentrate long enough to get anything done in good time. Usually, though, I managed to stay focused long enough to get my work done. And I was doing pretty good—straight A's every quarter ever since we started getting letter grades. The problem was, after a long session of homework, or any other tedious task, I usually was brimming with nervous energy.

The only thing was if I were to unleash the energy, I couldn't take it back. I had to let it out; run around, yell, do _something. _But I couldn't.

Or…maybe I could. Maybe now was a perfect time for one of my episodes. Perhaps if I annoyed Ghirahim enough, he'd decide it wasn't worth it to keep me hostage, and he'd and let me go.

I stood up. This would not be an easy task. But being a younger sister, I had perfected the task of being annoying while someone was trying to work. It was kind of fun. I had developed many methods to the art of hyper-activeness. Now, to choose the right one.

With a grin, I unleashed the monster.

* * *

**Ghirahim's POV**

I looked up from my tedious work as I heard footsteps pounding down the stairs. The servant girl bolted past me, into the nearest hallway, bellowing, "SWEET CAR-O-LINE, BUH, BUH, BUH. GOOD TIMES NEVER FELT SO _GOOD_."

I watched her race down the halls, almost bowling down unsuspecting bokoblins and demons. After a few laps, she jumped into the chair next to me, and clung to the back of it, rocking it violently.

"Servant, have you lost your—"

"IF I WERE A RICH MAN…DI-DEL-DEE-DEL-DI-DULL-DUM! ALL DAY LONG I'D…DEE-DULL-DI-DULL-DEE-DULL-DI-DULL-DUM! IF I WERE A WEALTHY MAN!" She shouted, in what sounded like her mocking version of a male's singing voice. I glared at her, and she stared back with an impish look on her face.

"OOOOOKLAHOMA where the wind comes sweeping down the PLAINES! And the waving WHEAT, can sure smell SWEET, when the wind comes right after the RAAIIIN!"

I glared at her. She was doing this to anger me; I was sure of it.

"Do be quiet, Sky Child, I'm trying to—"

"WE know we belong to the LAND! And the LAND we belong to is GRAND. And when we say…YOW!...AI-YIP-AI-YO-EE-YAYY…We're only saying YOU'RE doing FINE OKLAHOMA, OK-LA-HO-MA, OK."

I sent a snarl in her direction. "YOU MISERABLE LITTLE _BRAT_! I SWEAR I WILL MAKE YOU WISH YOU'D NEVER BEEN _BORN_" I shouted.

She clicked her tongue and shook her head in disapproval.

"Some-day, I'll-be, livin' in a big ol' ci-ty. And all you're ever gonna be is MEAN!" She sang, jumping on top of the table.

"Sit down!" I snapped, losing my patience again.

"The people all said 'sit down, sit down you're rockin' the boat!'"

"What boat? You are wrecking my eardrums!"

"I CAME IN LIKE A WRECKING BALL! ALL I EVER—"

"SHUT UP! Why must you molest me so?" I growled.

"Cause it's fun!" She answered. "'F' is for friends who do stuff together, 'U' is for you and me, 'N' is for 'nywhere and 'nytime at all, down here in the deep blue sea!"

I clenched my fists. "You don't know what you're doing…"

"_STANDING_ IN THE HALL OF _FAME!_ AND THE _WORLD'S_ GONNA KNOW YOUR _NAME_!...Um…I forgot the words…_SOMETHING_."

"Child, I _swear_ you will die a painful, agonizing—"

"It's fun to stay at the YMCA, IT's—"

I slapped a hand over her mouth. "YOU ARE MAKING ME FURIOUS!" I shouted. She bit my glove, and I yanked away my hand. "I'm warning you, you animal…" I said. She looked at me with a wild look in her eyes. Then she bowed her head.

"You're right. I'm making you upset on purpose. I'm being very immature."

"Yes, yes you are."

"Completely unacceptable. Very unkind of me."

"Indeed."

"But could you just do one thing for me? Please?" She asked, giving me an innocent look with those round blue eyes of hers.

I scowled at her. "Possibly. What would it be?"

"Let it go."

"Excuse me?"

"LET IT GO, LET IT GO, I couldn't hold it back anymore. LET IT GO, LET IT—" I managed to warp away before I could hear any more.

* * *

**Yeah, like I said. Short. My music, in order, was:**

_**Sweet Caroline- **_**Neil Diamond**

**Various songs from the musicals _Fiddler On The Roof, Oklahoma!, and Guys &amp; Dolls._**

_**Mean**_**\- Taylor Swift**

**_Wrecking Ball-_ Miley Cyrus**

_**Fun- Spongebob Squarepants**_

**_Hall of Fame_\- The Script**

**_YMCA_\- Village People**

**Let It Go-Idina Menzel**

**I do not own any of these songs, and they are copyrights of their respective owners. I used them in my fic for fun, not for profit, and did not intend to infringe any copyrights. Thanks.**

**Anyway, please, as usual, fav/follow, and leave a review if you can. Happy President's Day!**

**~Catwhiskers24~**


	30. Chapter 29:Staying Out of Trouble

**Hey look! Another chapter! Imagine that. **

**So, my fantastic readers, here's the next ACTUAL chapter. I know that by now, probably the real chapter numbers are pretty off of what the chapter numbers are at the bottom of the page, but oh well. Anyway, this is still way too short, and I fell bad, but please enjoy it anyway. :) **

**Disclaimer: I do not own LOZ. Just my Alternate plotline and OC's.**

* * *

**Ghirahim's POV**

So the Sky Child could use magic.

So what? Big deal. I could too.

But I couldn't lie to myself. Somehow, the fact that she possessed this ability disturbed me. It almost _angered _me. No normal Skyloftian had ever shown such an ability. Granted, few ever fell to the Surface, but those who had never had been this..._strange_.

Why was she so different? When I had been appointed the task of capturing the Spirit Maiden, I had done some research about the island on which she would be reborn. In the reading, I had learned that Hylia had sent a piece of the land into the heavens to create Skyloft, the safe haven for the human tribe living on the surface during the war.

_Humans._ As in, non-magical folk. As in, the least powerful intelligent species. Humans. All three Sky-Children were members of this weak species.

I'll admit, I'd seen the possibility of the Spirit Maiden perhaps possessing a special power or ability. The hero? Sure. Less likely, but seeing how desperate the goddesses can be, I'd believe it. Alright. The hero and the goddess reborn both are special. Okay. Right. Makes sense.

But why Ocean? Why the normal girl I'd accidentally mistaken for the goddess?

It made no sense. And I suppose I didn't want it to. She was supposed to be an easily manipulated, quiet little being like the rest of her people.

But she wasn't. She was loud and clever and daring. She had been undaunted by falling to the surface, or even by meeting me. She had a smart mouth and a clever tongue. And what bothered—and yet intrigued—me most: she seemed to know more than she let on. She seemed to have already known me before we had even met. Whether or not this was true, she definitely was hiding _something. _And I intended on finding out just what.

All these thoughts raced through my mind as I headed up to my room for the night.

Then I stopped several feet away from the dining room. Why was I leaving her in there with the other servant? It was late, and I intended to train her hard the next day. I didn't intend to actually begin to teach her magic until she had proven herself ready.

I glanced behind me. As I watched, the girl walked toward the table, but she slipped. The other servant steadied before she could fall. He muttered something that I assumed was 'careful.'

I looked away. She would be fine. If I wanted her to behave, I had to give her a bit of space. I decided to let the two have the time to themselves. Malice was a fairly obedient servant, so he hopefully would keep her out of trouble. And if I let them enjoy themselves exploring the manor tonight, she was more likely to be willing to work tomorrow.

With one last look at the two, I started up the steps. I couldn't dwell on her too long. She was just a servant, after all, and I had work to do.

Marissa's POV

I was surprised that Ghirahim just left us behind. I had been expecting him to immediately send us both to our respective rooms, but here we were; still in the dining room.

Weird. Maybe my new position gave me new privileges or something.

Oh yeah...my position. Ghirahim's bodyguard. _Great..._

The thing was, I wasn't all that surprised. Worried? Sure. Overwhelmed? Oh yeah. Big time. But surprised? Not really.

The fact was, after all that had happened in this world, Ghirahim making me his bodyguard wasn't that surprising. I mean, heck, I'd gotten a prophecy saying it was my duty—my _destiny—_to protect him. Ghirahim himself assigning me that job just made things easier.

Okay, yeah, I'll admit, it was a little much finding out that I was supposed to protect a strange, feminine, _demon_ of a villain, but hey, I'd faced weirder. (Nothing could top me walking into his room that night to find him sleeping naked. Or that time when I accidentally saw him—oh wait, I never told you guys about that...) My point is, at this point, I wasn't really going to question stuff like this. Ghirahim wants me, the girl who almost _killed _him, to protect him? Sure. Why not? He's going to trust me with his life? Great, bring it on. I'd never really understood the demon lord before, so why start trying now?

The one thing that bugged me, though, was this: Why did he think I was up for the job? I mean, sure, I'd saved his life. And okay, so maybe he was doing this as part of some complex mind game, but really, _me? _His loyal bodyguard? Really? I'd never acted _loyal _to him. I'd think he would hire someone he considered a little more...trustworthy.

As it is, I was still a bit angry at him for earlier. He probably knew it, too. He'd trained me much harder than any gym teacher I'd ever had. He'd made me run laps around the gym before the actual fighting. Then he decided to make me do 30 push-ups. I have barely any upper body strength—I can barely do ten!

Basically, at this point, I was tired and utterly exhausted. All I wanted to do was sleep.

So, naturally, when Malice asked me if I wanted to explore the manor, I immediately said...

"HELL YEAH!"

And then we were off. Malice led the way towards the barracks. We figured we should say hi to Vi while we had the chance. While the child a demon, she still felt like the little sister I'd never had. Whenever Malice visited her, I was with him.

In fact, that went for anything. Malice always seemed to be at my side. Sometimes he would nonchalantly follow me around. He always denied it when caught, but that's what he was doing. And it always made me smile. I didn't completely understand why, but whenever I noticed him following me, my ears always felt hot, and I had to hide an embarrassed smile. It was so _weird._

And I loved it.

That said, Malice and I casually approached the door to the barracks. It was when he opened it, however, that we found trouble. Or, rather, trouble found _us._

Inside, we saw a group of bokoblins. Apparently, there was some sort of commotion. There was a lot of yelling. One particular word caught my attention.

"REBELS!" One voice shouted.

"Who let them in?"

"Get them!"

Voices were crying out, talking over each other. I noticed that only some of the bokoblins were holding weapons. And these ones looked different. For one, they were all green and blue bokoblins; the ones that were less common. Also, tattooed on each of their heads were three vertical, black diamonds.

The other bokoblins were all either hiding, running, or trying to force the newcomers out the door. It was all somewhat peaceful. Until one of the Rebels decided to stab a bokoblin in the gut.

The creature shrieked and keeled over, falling into a pool of its own dark-red blood.

One of the bigger green bokoblins casually set one leg on top of the corpse.

"Your attention, _please_." The creature called. I blinked in astonishment—the creature's voice was cool and confident; it's speech fluent and as smooth as a fresh jar of Skippy peanut butter. This was much different than the speech of its brethren, whose voices were often too screechy and harsh to understand.

"It appears you fine creatures are in a bit of a pickle." The creature continued. "But don't worry—we won't kill you! Well, probably."

He wiped his blood-stained blade on the arm of the deceased. "If you all don't want to end up like this one, then I'd highly suggest that someone would retrieve your leader. We have a..._message_...to give him."

I glanced at Malice. The demon's eyes were wide with fear, his chest rising and falling quickly. He was panicking.

He snapped out of it long enough to rasp, "We should be going..."

I nodded, too tired to disagree.

And that's when he saw us.

"Hey! You!" The large bokoblin called, striding toward us confidently. "You're Ghirahim's little _pet, _aren't you? What's that he calls you? His _Remlit_?" The creature crowed, and paused so that his comrades could have a nice, condescending laugh.

My cheeks burned in embarrassment.

I had one of those bad moments; the kind of moment when you don't think. Instead of keeping my normal calm, 'You can't touch this' type of composure, I walked straight up to him.

"Ocean! Stop!" I ignored Malice and stormed up to the monster. I'd killed hundreds of them in the game; I could take him, right?

Well, I may have had a chance if I'd, you know, actually had my sword. Or my dagger. Or a small rock. Something.

"Oh, does the little remlit want to _play_?" The bokoblin jeered. I swallowed, but I couldn't back down. Not now.

He took my silence as a yes, and reached into his belt to retrieve a weapon. And it wasn't one of their broadswords. No, it was worse. So much worse. It was a small ball-and-chain.

I shakily put my hands on my hips. _What am I doing?_

_"_Bring it on." I said out loud.

The monster smirked and brought back his weapon. I screamed and jumped to the left, and it just barely clipped my side.

I laid winded on the ground. The bokoblin bore down towards me. Just as I expected to be crushed by his chain-of-death, a pale-orange dome appeared around me.

"L-Leave her alone!" I couldn't see him, but I recognized that as Malice's voice.

I turned to see the servant at my side, and mouthed 'Thanks.'

He probably didn't see it, though, because at that moment, the rebel leader swung his deadly weapon, and struck Malice right in the stomach. The small demon was sent flying backwards a dozen feet, and there was a sickening crack as he hit his head against a wall and slumped to the ground, hopefully just unconscious.

I winced and rolled over. Malice was lying in a heap on the ground, unnaturally still. I knew I had to get over to him and make sure he was alright, but I couldn't. As I managed to get to my feet, I was knocked over by a sword to my arm.

Warm blood trickled out of a large gash in my arm, and I was down on the ground all over again, trying not to cry.

Then, the huge oak doors behind us flew open, and all Hell broke loose.

* * *

**DUN DUN DUN...CLIFFHANGER! AHHHHHH**

**Is Malice okay? Will Marissa survive? Who is the newcomer, aka 'Hell breaking loose'? Heh. You'll just have to find out. **

**So, here ya guys go, another cliffie to love me for, three days post-Valentine's Day. I probably will update next weekend, but if I can't, I will try to do it earlier. And if I can't... Please don't kill me. *runs away***

**All jokes aside, please fav/follow if you can, and I always love reviews. They make my day. Well, have a good week, and I hope you join us next time on A Different Path!**

**~Catwhiskers24~**


	31. Chapter 30: Proof Ghirahim Has a Heart

**Ahem...Well. I'll have the next chapter up in a week, she says. If not, I'll post earlier, she says.**

**And now its Sunday.**

**Two Weeks Later.**

**I feel evil. I mean, that cliffhanger... I know some of you have a bit of time invested in my silly little story, and maybe even some attachment to the characters, so I feel cruel making you wait. But life happens. I have to fulfill my real-life obligations. I've had two weird, stressful, strange weeks. Emotions suck sometimes. *SIGH***

**Anyway, I was extremely busy, so I was barely able to finish this. But I think me making excuses is lame, and so I'm just gonna say, here ya go. A brand new, miserably short chapter to read. YAY.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own LOZ**

* * *

**Ghirahim's POV**

"My Lord!" I whipped around at the urgency in Leal's voice.

"Yes?"

"The Rebels..." He panted, catching himself on the door frame as he stumbled. "They..."

"Spit it out you fool!" I snapped.

"The Rebels...the barracks...fighting." The older demon managed.

I stiffened. How did the rebels get in when the barracks were so heavily guarded? It must be some sort of mistake. And if it wasn't, there were plenty of loyal bokoblin guards to fight them off.

"Very well. I will be down in a moment." I said, and then turned back to my window.

"That's not all..." He insisted. "It's..it's the girl."

"_What?_"

I was out the door before Leal could say another word.

* * *

When I finally reached the barracks, the screeches and yells from behind the door could mean nothing but catastrophe.

I tried the door. Locked.

That just wouldn't do, now would it?

With one snap of my fingers, I had blown open the heavy mahogany door.

What met my eyes instantly filled me with rage. The girl was on the ground, clutching a large gash on her upper arm. She was surrounded by at least forty Rebel bokoblins, and one of them was holding a small ball-and-chain. A victorious smirk crossed his face as he bore down upon her. Red filled my vision, and I charged forward.

I summoned my rapier and dashed about the room, cutting down bokoblin after bokoblin. The fury burning my blood came close to blinding me, and I could barely tell apart friend from foe. Lucky for them, most of my allies were wise enough to back away.

I lost track of how many creatures I'd sliced through, and it seemed as if no time had passed by the time all the traitors laid dead on the ground. The rest of them had either fled or surrendered.

I stood, panting, as I surveyed the room. So much blood stained the floor, and when I looked back at the girl, only horror reflected back to me in her pale, blue eyes. Looking around, just for a moment, I understood her disgust.

And then it was gone, replaced only by exhaustion. I hadn't realized just how magic I had used as I fought; it had just come naturally.

I took a few deep breaths, and then I stumbled over to the girl. She flinched back as I approached. I sighed, and then helped her up.

* * *

**Marissa's POV**

I stared at Ghirahim, conflicting emotions battling in my mind. He had saved me, yes, but in the process, he had massacred dozens of bokoblins. I knew they were evil, but they probably had families, too. What if they were just working to earn enough money to survive? Maybe they thought this world was better off for their kids if Ghirahim was gone. Maybe...Maybe they were right.

No. As often as Ghirahim disgusted me, I didn't think he was any worse than the rebels. Without him, this manor was liable to fall apart.

But still, in the back of my mind, I couldn't help picturing a house of young children, waiting for the father who'd never return, or the wife who's heart would be broken when she learned she'd seen the last of her lover.

I continued to look at Ghirahim, and then sighed.

"Well that was...something..." I muttered.

"Indeed." He said, wiping a bead of sweat from his forehead. Then, strangely, he began to laugh.

I stared at him, even more disturbed. "Um...what the..."

"You know what they say..." he said. "you can't spell slaughter without laughter."

"Er..." I swallowed. "I'm pretty sure nobody says that."

Ghirahim shrugged.

I turned to look at Malice, who was crumpled in a heap on the ground. I immediately ran towards the servant and bent down next to him.

"Malice." I tapped his shoulder, calling his name. I held my breath in anticipation, and thankfully, he opened his stunning orange eyes. "You okay?" I asked, helping him to his feet.

Malice winced, rubbing his head, but he nodded anyway. "Yeah...I'm fine."

I let out a sigh of relief. "Thanks."

"What?" Malice asked, tilting his head. Then he blinked. "Oh. That. Right." He smiled shyly, his face a little red. "It was nothing."

"Nothing?" I gently half-punched his shoulder. "Dude...you totally saved my life!"

Malice grew even more red at this, being naturally humble. "I...er..."

Behind us, Ghirahim cleared his throat. He walked forward to stand by me with an unreadable expression on his face.

"I should probably walk Malice down to the infirmary." I suggested to the demon lord.

Ghirahim's eyes narrowed.

"No. I've had enough foolishness for one night." He turned to Malice. "You." He pointed to the door. "Walk yourself to the infirmary."

Malice opened his mouth, but Ghirahim raised a filthy gray glove. "_Go._" He commanded.

Malice nodded and scurried off, favoring his right leg. I watched him go, unsure why I couldn't go with.

"And _you_," Ghirahim said, regaining my attention. "will follow me."

* * *

I followed Ghirahim back to the stairs. "Up." He said.

"But—"

"Go."

I sighed, but I obeyed anyway.

I lifted up a weary foot. Of course, being me, the exhausted Klutz, I managed to trip on the eighth step. I found myself sliding back down the stairs, worsening my already agonizing bruises.

"Ow..." I moaned, crumpled at the foot of the steps. Bile rose up in my throat, along with a surge of frustration. The blood pounded in my ears as the result of my impact-induced headache.

"Of course." Ghirahim mumbled. "Of all the pathetic creatures in the world..."

I heard a sigh, and I flinched in surprise as I felt myself being lifted.

"Hey!" I said. We lurched forward as Ghirahim began carrying me up the stairs.

"Lemme down!" I protested.

"Not likely."

I struggled briefly, but I was already in too much pain, so I ended up just going limp. My head hung over his right arm, his firm wrist pushing on the back of my neck. He was somewhat careful, though I was extremely uncomfortable. I wasn't sure if it was because of the motion worsening my nausea, or because of how vulnerable I felt. It was humiliating, being carried around like a sack of potatoes. And by _Ghirahim _of all people. I was beyond embarrassed. I mean for someone who dislikes physical contact, this was miserable.

Finally, we reached the top of the stairs.

"Can you let me down now?" I asked. I saw Ghirahim roll his eyes.

"Patience." He responded. Ghirahim continued to carry me down the hall. Finally, we stopped outside of a door. _His _door.

"Um..." I said. "Why are you bringing me here?"

Ghirahim didn't respond; he just opened the door with a pulse of magic.

The demon lord walked in and set me on the bed. I shifted into a sitting position as he closed the door.

"Okay, _what's happening_?" I demanded.

Ghirahim took my wounded arm and rolled up the sleeve.

"You let those brainless Rebels do this to you?" he asked.

"I...I was distracted." I said defensively, feeling annoyed by his mockery.

"Of course you were." He muttered. "Just stay here. I'll be right back."

* * *

**Ghirahim's POV**

"I still can't believe you let a few pesky monsters beat you." I scolded, using a damp cloth to clean the gash on her am. It wasn't as deep as I originally thought, but it still needed to be treated.

"Ouch! Stop it Ghirahim, that hurts!" She whined. Then she glared at me. "Well, if you hadn't made me train so hard, I wouldn't have been so exhausted. Besides, they had a freaking _ball-and-chain. _I was trying to avoid being bludgeoned to death. And how the heck was I supposed to fight them when _you hid my sword_?"

I set down the rag and picked up a fresh roll of bandages.

"I did teach you hand-to-hand combat, did I not?"

She shrugged. "Yeah, but I wasn't ready to fight after one _day_ of training. Anyway, I don't want to hurt anyone. You know that."

I sighed. I hated to admit it, but she had a point there.

"You're right." I muttered. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay." She said immediately. Then her eyes widened. "Wait, did you just _apologize _to me?" She asked.

"No." I said quickly.

"Yes you did!" She said triumphantly.

"No I didn't. You of all people should know that I wouldn't do that." I lied, flustered. Why did I say that? Now she'd think I actually _care _for her.

"I knew it! I _knew _you still had a heart in there!" She went on, poking me in the chest, just left of my sternum.

I flinched, feeling an odd burning sensation at her touch.

I quickly stood up and sped out of the room, the fiery sensation still spreading across my skin. _What the hell?_

"Wait, Ghirahim!" She called.

I stopped and turned around, hoping my face wasn't red.

"What?"

"You realize this is _your _room, right?" She teased, her eyes shining slightly.

"Oh..." I cleared my throat. "Of course I did. Get out."

"Sheesh." She said, getting to her feet. "That wasn't very nice, was it?

I said nothing, for fear I'd say something stupid once again.

"Well," She said, approaching the door. "It's too late now.

"Too late for what?" I asked.

"I SAID IT'S TOO LATE TO APOLOGIZE, TOO LATE! I—"

I rolled my eyes.

"Oh come on," She said. "_Apologize_? One Republic? It's perfect."

"Go to your room, Sky Child."

"Okay."

* * *

**Like I said, she's a bit of a music nerd. Oh well. I thought this might be a funny, lighter way of ending the chapter, especially compared to the last one. Like she said, the line is from the song _Apologize _by One Republic.**

**So in case it takes a while to upload the next one, I'll give you a preview: Imagine our two MC's in archery training. Imagine them bickering, like always. I MAY just include one of my favorite Ghirahim quotes from the game. Maybe. Then...they MIGHT just bond a little bit, and it may be kinda cute if I don't mess it up. It may possibly include a midnight horse ride. Maybe.**

**AND HOLY MOTHER OF GOD! OVER 100 REVIEWS! I wish I could throw you a party. This blew my estimate of 50 reviews by the end (which won't be for a looong time) completely out of the water. Like, into an entirely different lake. On another planet. Yah. So, that means you _could _help me get to 200. *Wink Wink, hint hint***

**Special thanks to all my followers and reviewers. You guys are DA BEST. I can't believe how much publicity my weird little fic is getting. Oh gosh, I'm getting emotional. I...I'm gonna say bye now before I get all cheesy on you.**

**~Catwhiskers24~**


	32. Chapter 30:Fireflies At An Obsidian Dusk

**Hello! Happy Saturday! Here's another chapter. I know it's slightly belated, but it's extra long, so that's good, right? I probably won't have another chapter up by Sunday night, so I hope this makes up for it. So, as promised, here it is!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own LoZ. Just my Oc's and alternate storyline.**

* * *

**Ghirahim's POV**

I turned in for the night shortly after she left. There was too much on my mind to do any more reading on the Spirit Maiden.

I stretched across my satin bedspread, relishing the the way the soft comforter cushioned my sore muscles. A wave of exhaustion passed over me. I knew I'd used too much magic in the fight, but I couldn't help it. With my sudden rage-induced adrenaline rush, it'd been hard to realize that I was overexerting myself.

Not that this was much different then normal. I couldn't remember the last time that I hadn't had searing aches and pains by the time I had the chance to rest.

My leg muscles throbbed as I turned over, resting my neck on the pillow. How could it be so impossible to get comfortable in such a large bed?

I noticed that there was still an indent in the mattress from where the girl had been sitting. It still retained a bit of heat. This was a harsh contrast to the rest of my room, which was frigid in the cooling air. I wondered if it would snow any time soon.

_Yeah, right._ I hadn't seen snow in this realm for decades. And I had no idea if I'd see it again. The weather was too unpredictable.

I turned onto my other side, staring at the flickering candlelight. I always hated this time of year. Regardless of whether or not we received snow, the air still became crisp and cold. Soon, that dreaded series of nights would return; the nights that were so quiet and cold, the silence weighing heavily in the air as I lay here. Alone.

Funny. I'd never really thought about the word alone. Mainly because I seldom felt lonely. Or maybe I did, but I was just used to the empty throbbing in my chest. It didn't make a difference to me. I had bigger problems than petty aches and pains—physical or emotional.

I stared at that candle for a while, a never-ending stream of thoughts swirling about my mind.

When sleep finally took a hold of me, my last memory was the outline of the flame seared under my eyelids.

* * *

_The sun rippled across the lake's surface in sparkling bursts. I stared across to the opposite bank. I couldn't make out what was on the opposite side. I glanced down at the ground. I was standing on an uneven bank, inches from the edge of the water I looked past the land, peering into the depths below. Fear flickered through me as I realized that I couldn't see the bottom of the lake. And yet, the appearance of this dark, endless abyss sparked the curiosity inside me. I leaned forward, my eyes fixed on the now black surface, the water reflecting an eerie night sky._

_ I didn't realize how far I'd leaned until I was careening head-first into the pool. I cried out, my arms flailing as the freezing water touched my skin. And then I was completely submerged, bubbles streaming from my mouth and gathering around my face. I was sinking, the air completely knocked from my lungs._

_ And then there were was a hand clutching my wrist and pulling me upward._

_ "Careful, Clumsy. I thought _I _was the Klutz," a familiar voice teased. I opened my eyes to find the sky light once more, the sun illuminating the face before me. The servant girl—Ocean—was leaning out of a boat and holding onto my arm, an amused expression on her face. _

_ I stared at her blankly, and she rolled her sky-blue eyes with a small smile. She guided my hand to the side of the boat and helped pull me back on board, laughing in the process._

_ "You okay, Ghira?" She asked, tilting her head. _

_ "Yeah." I answered. _

_ She giggled, nudging me. "Next time I say stay still, listen, OK? Or maybe you were _trying _to capsize the boat."_

_ I grinned and laughed as well. I smiled, and she smiled back, our ever-present tension having vanished._

_ I caught her eyes, and she stared right back. _

_ "Ghirahim?" She whispered. _

_ "Yes?"_

"You've slept in." She announced, the voice coming from her mouth not quite her own.

_"Huh?_"

I blinked once, and then found myself back in my room, Leal standing in the doorway.

"My Lord? Shall I request the cooks to begin making breakfast?"

"Y-Yes. That should be fine."

Leal nodded once, and then bowed his head as he left the room.

I sat up, realizing my forehead was drenched with sweat. How strange. I climbed out of bed, stretching my sore arms.

The sun was just rising above the trees as I glanced out the window. It was the morning.

Here we go again.

* * *

**Marissa's POV**

"Get up." A voice said in my ear.

"No, jus' five more minutes..." I muttered.

"Get up. _Now."_ The voice said a little louder.

"Just a minute...just have to rest a moment longer."

"_No,_"

Hands grabbed my shoulders and rolled me to the floor. I hit the ground with a thud.

"I'm up, I'm up!" I exclaimed, leaping to my feet as the light of my room stung my eyes.

Blinking, I noticed Ghirahim waiting, his hands on his hips.

"I told you we would be getting up early to train, did I not?" He asked with an irritated scowl.

"I don't know. Maybe. I do tend to zone out while you're talking sometimes." I winced, rubbing the back of my neck. "Did you have to do that?"

"No. But I felt like it." The demon answered with a smirk.

"Jerk."

Ghirahim sighed. "Just get changed. Your knight clothes are on the desk."

I brightened. "Good. Now I don't have to wear that other...outfit. It was horrid."

Ghirahim rolled his eyes. "It was not."

"It looked like a rainbow threw up on me!"

The noble turned towards the door. "I don't have time for this. Just shut up and get dressed."

And with that, Ghirahim exited my room.

"Be in the dining room in ten minutes!" He called over his shoulder.

"Great." I muttered. "How 'bout that..."

I approached my desk. My clothes were folded in a neat stack. I sighed in relief and changed. I cast aside my sleep-ware, which, thankfully, were much more modest than what Ghirahim wears. Especially when he sleeps _in the nude. _Ugh.

I couldn't complain too much, though. My new bed was perhaps—not to overstate this—the most comfortable piece of furniture in the history of the world. The mattress was so soft, the material conforming to the shape of my sore back. I'd never slept better than I had last night, but maybe that's because I was so exhausted from the events of the previous day. Heck, it felt more like _three _days.

I looked at my reflection in the mirror that lay above my polished oak dresser. I stared at the girl who peered back at me.

It had always been strange looking into a mirror. I mean, looking at my reflection, I'd always seen this...this girl. But she always looked different. Like she belonged somewhere else. I'd always felt like this. I always felt too mature or too childish; too smart or too daft.

You look around, and you see all these familiar faces—faces that would look wrong anywhere else. That was the thing: They belonged. They belonged in my home town. As for me...I don't know where I belong.

Belong. Strange word. But when I hear it, I think of a place you fit in. And if I didn't fit in back home, then what are the odds that I'd belong _here, _in a manor full of creatures of another species?

I stared at this girl for a while. Then I turned to my bed and pulled my boots from underneath my mattress. I reached into my right one, in which I guarded my knife once again. Ghirahim had, of course, found it and stowed it with the rest of my stuff while I'd been unconscious in the infirmary. But I'd found it with my clothes this morning. I guess he'd decided he couldn't have me _completely _defenseless.

What I was most surprised about, though, was with what was still in my left boot. My phone.

I guess Ghirahim hadn't noticed it, or if he had, maybe he'd decided it wasn't anything to worry about. Whatever was the case, I was just glad to still have it in my possession.

I slipped the small piece of technology back in its home near my ankle, and then left the room.

* * *

"Now," Ghirahim began, "today I have a very special lesson planned for you."

I crossed my arms, still tired and a little annoyed at what he'd made me do for a warm up. He'd had me run back and forth across the room, yelling at me to go faster. Not only did I hate one-on-one training, but he seemed to enjoy making me suffer. I mean, making me do the _pacer _of all things! I'd always hated doing it in gym class—I'd always felt like I was choking on my own throat by the end. I don't know how, but it was almost like Ghirahim _knew _that was the exercise that would tick me off most. I made sure to show my frustration by flicking him off once when he was yelling at me to go faster.

I pushed aside my annoyance and tried to be cooperative. "Oh yeah?"

Ghirahim stepped over to a new rack of weapons. "You've proven you can use a sword—to some extent, anyway—but you will need other options if you ever want to survive in the real world."

"The _real_ world, huh?" I muttered.

"What I mean to say is, that yes, there are plenty of times to use a sword. But sometimes its necessary to use a more long-ranged weapon." the demon went on, reaching for a weapon on the rack.

"Wait," I spoke up. "I thought you were going to teach me to use magic today?"  
Ghirahim glanced at me. "We are getting to that. But first..." Ghirahim took two bows from the aligned weapons and handed one to me. "I'm sure you noticed the targets on the north side of the room." He gestured in said direction as he spoke.

"Oh," I said, just now noticing the long line of bull's-eyes glaring at us from across the room. "Right. Of course I did! What kind of idiot would miss that?"

Ghirahim twitched an invisible eyebrow, though he said nothing.

I examined my bow. It was made of a stiff, white wood. The bowstring was frayed at the top, and the wood was cracked at the bottom.

"This here is a fine weapon." I said sarcastically.

Ghirahim laughed, not picking up on my dry tone. "No, Sky Child, this is one of the most old, poorly crafted objects in the manor. It's only ever used for training.

"Okay..." I twanged the bowstring. "And you know I have an actual name, right?"

Ghirahim stared at me in confusion. "Of course. And don't do that, Sky Child. You'll break the string."

I rolled my eyes up to the high ceiling. "Great."

Ghirahim led me to a mark on the dusty floor, which was at least fifty yards from the targets. He handed me a quiver full of arrows.

"Have you ever used a bow?" He inquired.

"Well, at my old school, we had an archery unit in sixth grade." I glanced at the targets. "We didn't have to shoot this far, though."

Ghirahim laughed again. "This _far_? Girl, you have much work ahead of you. In a battle, your opponents could be twice as far!"

"Fantastic..." I muttered. "Let's get started."

Ghirahim beamed.

"Excellent. That's the right attitude. Now, first, you have to know the right stance."

The demon shifted so that he was standing with his feet a shoulder-width apart, his toes pointing towards the line.

I tried to mimic him, but I apparently didn't do it quite right.

"No. Like this." Ghirahim tapped my right leg, and I jumped slightly.

"Move this leg to the left." He commanded, and I did as I was told.

"Alright." Ghirahim took an arrow from his quiver, and I did the same. We both nocked our arrows on our respective bowstrings.

"Next, to shoot an arrow, it is key to pull back the arrow the right distance." Ghirahim pulled back the arrow so that the fletching was just brushing his cheek. "And then release." He said, and let the arrow fly towards the target. I stared in amazement as his arrow planted itself in the center of the bull's eye.

"Wow." I said in amazment.

"Impressive, isn't it?" He remarked proudly. "Now it's your turn."

"'Kay. Let's do this."

I drew back the bowstring, but it had more tension than I expected, and I could barely get it half as far to my cheek as Ghirahim. My fingers slipped, and I let go. The arrow clattered to the floor an entire five yards away.

"Yeah. BOOM! That blew yours right out of the water." I joked.

Ghirahim was staring at the bent shaft of the arrow. "That was perhaps the most pathetic thing I've seen in my life."

"Oh yeah? I thought you had a mirror in your room." I retorted.

Ghirahim shot a glare in my direction. "Careful." He muttered.

I cleared my throat. "I'll try again."

"Good. Do it _right _this time, will you?" He requested impatiently.

"Okay, okay. Sheesh." I drew back the string once again, pulling it as far as I could, and then released it.

This time, the arrow got a little over halfway before it decided to crash and burn.

"Oops." I said.

Ghirahim scowled in frustration. "You have to pull it back farther, you foolish little girl!"

Now, that actually stung a little.

"I'm trying." I retorted, feeling irritated at his lack of patience. "I just can't."

"What do you mean you can't? Of course you can. Anyone could do it; it's easy!" He snapped.

"Yeah, well I can't." I insisted.

Ghirahim gave me a hard look. "How weak are you? I didn't realize humans were this _powerless_."

"It has nothing to do with that." I retorted. "This is a crappy bow, and it was made for demons like you. We aren't weak. You guys are just freakishly strong."

"You're calling me strong?" Ghirahim interjected with a sly smile.

"No!" I protested, trying to think of any word I could use besides 'strong.' "You're just...well-built." I realized after I said it that it was worse. Like way, _way _worse.

Ghirahim's smile widened.

"I mean...er...I did _not _mean..."

Ghirahim's smile widened into an even broader smirk. "I won't argue with you there." He purred. "I mean, just look at me! Doesn't my perfect skin just leave you..._breathless_?"

"Sure. Breathless from laughing." I muttered.

Ghirahim ignored me, flipping his hair before striking a pose. He threw out one arm and held another to his forehead, as if he couldn't get over himself. "Behold!" He exclaimed.

I groaned, realizing I'd somehow set him off again. I knew exactly what he was going to say, and I hated it.

"Such beauty!" He gasped.

"Yes, totally." I muttered dryly.

"Such a pure form!"

"The purest."

"Such an exquisite physique!"

"Oh yes. Exquisite. Definitely."

"Such stunning features!"

"They're definitely stunning," I deadpanned, averting my eyes.

"Yes, I've pretty much got it all. Though, there is one, teensy, tiny thing I lack..." he practically moaned, placing a hand over his eyes."

"Humility? Self-awareness? Pants?"

He turned towards me, a shadow crossing his face as he licked his lips. "Namely _mercy._"

I shivered a bit—that was way more creepy in person. I almost wondered if I had to pay him for performing the little scene just for me.

"Um..." I said, out of sarcastic comments.

Ghirahim threw his head back and laughed. "Oh, the look on your face! How delightful! I know I've said it before, but you are _very _fun to play with, My Remlit."

"Oh no, it's not that. You didn't freak me out." I said. "I was actually just trying to decide whether your tongue looks more like a snake's or a gecko's." I said, staring at him.

Ghirahim cleared his throat. "Right, well why don't we try this again?"

"You flick out your tongue occasionally like a snake, but it's not forked..."

Ghirahim's eye twitched. "Or, we could practice more with a sword."

"...but your tongue almost reaches your eye like a gecko's..."

That's when Ghirahim snapped. "Would you shut up about my tongue already!" he commanded.

"Fine. I'll try to shoot the arrow one more time." I conceded. "But I'm kind of sore, so I probably won't succeed this time, either."

"Just..." Ghirahim sighed. How short was this guy's temper? I mean, seriously. I know I'm bad at this, but doesn't he know it takes a while to pick up on a skill like this?

"Okay," I said, notching an arrow once again. I drew back the string, released it, and...hit the target.

"YES!" I exclaimed in excitement.

Sure, it only clipped the edge, but it was an improvement. Ghirahim, however thought otherwise.

"Why do you celebrate? That was terrible."

"It was not!" I protested. "It was actually pretty good."

"For you, maybe." he grumbled. "And you probably damaged that arrow with your reckless shot."

I took a deep breath.

"Ugh, could you stop bitching at me for like, 30 seconds?" I exclaimed in resignation. "I get it: I suck at this. But you don't always have to be so negative. It's bad enough that you had to kidnap me, but do you have to make my life a living Hell every single time I start to be optimistic?"

"A living Hell? A living _Hell_?" Ghirahim's eyes narrowed. "My _childhood _was a living Hell. You know nothing about—"

"I GET IT!" I snapped, all my frustration welling up. I didn't understand why. Usually, it took much more to set me off. Why was Ghirahim able to get to me so easily? "Your life sucked. And it still does. I know. But my life isn't always a picnic either. I mean seriously, didn't your mother ever tell you it was rude to complain so much?"

Ghirahim stiffened. "I'd rather you not bring my long-dead parents into this, thanks." he said icily.

My anger began to melt down. I remembered what Hylia told me about his past, and immediately I felt guilty for being so insensitive. He was opening up to me. Wasn't it my duty as his protector—and as a person—to listen and be there for him?

"Oh, Ghirahim, I'm sorry. I...I didn't know." I moved towards him. I considered patting his shoulder or something, but I had a feeling that it would just make things worse. "How did it happen?"

Ghirahim stared at the ground. "I don't know. I never met them." Then he stared straight at me. "And even if I did, the first one that I told would _not _be a lowly servant."

There he goes again. Of course.

"Ghirahim, I want to help, but I can't unless you actually talk to me." I said in my most soothing voice.

Ghirahim laughed. "I don't need help. Especially not from _you_."

I felt as though I'd been slapped. Every time...

"Fine. If you want to be all depressed and bipolar, go ahead. But I'm leaving."

And with that, I promptly marched out of the training room.

* * *

I spent the next hour or so visiting Malice in the infirmary. He was awake when I arrived, so I moved a chair near his bedside to talk.

"What happened?" He asked.

"Oh, nothing really. He's just pissed off at me. Again." I said glumly.

"Well that makes two of us. I'm pretty sure he's mad at me, too. I was kind of supposed to keep you out of trouble yesterday." He said sheepishly.

"And you did good. It was my fault for getting involved. Sorry about that." I apologized.

"Don't worry—I'm fine. And besides, now that I think about it, Ghirahim probably will be too busy pretending the other servants and I don't exist to actually be angry." He pointed out.

"True." I said.

Malice shifted into a sitting position. "It's really stuffy in here, huh?"

"Yeah." I agreed.

Malice glanced at the door. "Herb—our healer—won't be back for a while. What do you say we get out of here?"

"I don't know..." I said, staring at him in concern. "Are you fully recovered?"

Malice shrugged. "Probably not. But if you don't help, I'm probably gonna try to slip away by myself. You with me?"

I smiled and nodded. "Of course."

* * *

**Ghirahim's POV**

I sat on my throne, watching as the girl and the other servant crept past the doorway. They weren't incredibly stealthy. I could hear the girl giggle as they walked away. Why was she so annoyed around me while she was so light-hearted around another lowly servant? I mean, Malice was neither handsome or powerful. How could he have instantly befriended her? It wasn't _fair._

I stared at the doorway, hearing her receding footsteps. Leal cleared his throat, startling me.

"Is there something wrong, My Lord?" he asked.

"I'm fine." I answered, looking away.

The older demon was silent for a moment. Then he cleared his throat once more. "You know why the girl enjoys the company of that servant, don't you?"

I stared at him. "No. Of course not. If I did, don't you think I wouldn't be wondering how to do the same?"

Leal was quite for a moment. "What do you want from her?"

I hesitated. "I..." I sighed. "I want her to like me. I want her to trust me. I want her to be...happy."

Leal raised an eyebrow. "Then the answer to your quandary is clear, isn't it?"

I shook my head.

Leal stood near me. "All Malice has done is be kind to her. He's done her favor after favor. If you want her to be your acquaintance too, then you must do something nice for her."

"But I don't know what!" I exclaimed. "I've been teaching her to fight, and all it does is make her even more angry at me!"

"Is that what she wants?" Leal inquired. "Does she really want to know how to kill more efficiently?"

I stared at the ground. "No..." I said. "I...I suppose not."

Leal bowed his head. "Then teach her something she wants to learn. And you must be patient. You must also be kind."

"It's not that easy!" I snapped. "Besides, I doubt after this she will be very willing to train with me again."

"It may take a while." the butler agreed.

"What do I do in the meantime?" I inquired.

Leal tilted his head considerately. "What else does she like?"

"Well..." I thought for a moment. "She likes to read...I think. And she also likes music, animals...and water...and...the woods I suppose."

Leal smiled weakly. "Then the answer is simple."

I furrowed my brow. "How so?"

"Have you shown her the the library yet?" Leal asked.

"Well...no." I said.

"Perfect."

"What if that's not enough?" I asked.

Leal stared out the window. "You do know what day it is, My Lord?"

"Of course I do. It's—" I broke off realizing what he meant. "It's..." I smiled. "It's perfect."

* * *

"Sky Child!" I called. The girl whipped around, almost smacking Malice with the back of her hand.

"Ghirahim?" She furrowed her brow in confusion. "What is it?"

"Follow..." I cleared my throat. "_Please_ follow me."

The girl looked even more confused. "Um...to where exactly?"

"Just..." I grit my teeth, and then I smiled. "It's a surprise."

The girl and Malice exchanged a look. Then she muttered something to him, and he smiled with a light laugh. She turned back to me.

"Okay. Let's go."

She followed me down a number of hallways until we reached a broad, wooden door with gold handles.

I opened the door and smiled in excitement as she walked in.

"Where are we..." she trailed off, her eyes growing huge as she looked around. "_Whoa._"

"This is my library." I told her.

"It's huge!" She exclaimed.

"It's yours." I said.

She gasped. "Wait, _what_?"

I gestured around the room. "All these books...they are as much yours as they are mine now." I explained calmly.

"Dang!" She exclaimed. "There are enough books in here to last me an entire week!"

"What?" I exclaimed, staring at her in surprise. "There are thousands of novels in here!"

"Kidding." She giggled, flashing me one of those huge smiles. "They may last me a _little _longer."

I watched her with satisfaction. "You may come and read whenever you have time. Though you must..." I cleared my throat. "You _should_ be back to your room by dark."

She ran her fingers along the various shelves, her eyes scanning each title. She stopped by one of the tallest shelves.

"Wait...are these in ancient Hylian?" She inquired.

"Yes." I answered. "Do you know how to read it?"

"Well..." she bit her lip. "Sorta. I learned some at the Academy. Though I'm not too good at it. Maybe I should start with another one."

I watched her grab a newer book. "You know, if you ever need help understanding ancient Hylian...you could always ask me."

The girl grinned. Then, without warning, she hugged me.

"Thank you." She said.

I jumped in surprise.

"Sky Child?"

She backed away, her cheeks red. "S-Sorry. I'm not quite sure what came over me there."

I smiled a little, and then patted her on the head.

"It's alright. Now, I suppose you'd like it if I left you in silence." I laughed, walking back towards the door.

"Well, it _is_ hard to read when you keep running your mouth," she teased, blinking warmly.

"Okay." I said, and then I left.

I couldn't stop myself from smiling even wider when I left the room. A little flicker of warmth tickled the inside of my chest when I thought about her excited smile. It felt...good.

* * *

**Marissa's POV**

I returned to my room as soon as the sun began to go down. I didn't want to abuse Ghirahim's request after he'd done something so thoughtful for me. The novels in this world...they were amazing! It didn't take long before I had become hopelessly lost in one of the books. I grinned happily as I sat on the edge of my bed. I never would understand that man, would I?

"Psst! Ocean!" My head whipped towards the window. Malice clung upside down outside my window, sticking his head behind the top of the frame.

"God, Malice!" I laughed. "Are you insane?"

Malice grinned. "Maybe a little."

I grinned right back and opened the window. I had just barely set my foot on the frame when I heard a knock on my door.

"Sky Child?"

Ghirahim.

My heart thudded in my chest. Malice's eyes widened, and he pulled himself out of view.

"It's open!" I called back.

Ghirahim opened the door and slowly walked in. I tried to act natural (and failed), as I shifted into a lying position on the bed.

"What's up?" I asked.

Ghirahim blinked. "Why's your window open?" He asked.

"Oh...uh...I was hot..." I said lamely.

"Really? When it's almost 50 degrees out?" he asked in surprise.

"Oh...yeah. Yeah, humans get overheated really easily." I lied.

"Is that so?" Ghirahim shrugged. "Hmm, your species really is strange. Anyway..." Ghirahim cleared his throat. "What I really am here for is to ask you a question. May I?"

I nodded a little too vigorously. "Yeah! Ask away, pal. Buddy. Amigo!"

Ghirahim looked even more confused. "OK...then." He glanced out the window, "Do you know what day it is?"

I searched my mind furiously. "Um...Tuesday? No, your birthday?"

Ghirahim grinned. "Wrong and wrong. No, I suppose you don't. That's good—it'll make my surprise all the more exciting!"

"Another surprise?" I exchanged glances with Malice, who was at an angle where I could see his face, but Ghirahim couldn't. I swear, if he sneezed...

"Yes." Ghirahim confirmed. "How would you like to go on a little evening horse ride with me?

"You have _horses_ here?" I exclaimed.

"But of course. It will be quite the adventure. What do you say?" he asked, extending a hand.

"Er..." I glanced out the window. Confusion passed over Malice's face.

I wasn't sure what to do. I didn't want to, literally, leave Malice hanging, but I didn't have a good excuse for Ghirahim. I didn't want him to get suspicious, nor did I want to hurt his feelings after his kind gift earlier.

_Sorry._ I mouthed at Malice. "Sure!" I told Ghirahim, taking his hand. Ghirahim smiled in surprise.

I glanced out the window to see a shocked, hurt Malice.

_ Later._ I mouthed. Something flashed in his eyes, and he pulled himself past my window in a flash. Instantly guilt began to set in. But I couldn't do much about it, because Ghirahim was already leading me out of my room.

* * *

The stables were about a mile away from the manor. And they were huge. As I walked in, the smell of hay and manure filled my nose, and I could hear the breathing of many large creatures.

Ghirahim led me to one of the pens. Inside stood a large midnight-black horse. It's mane blazed orange like Demise's fiery hair. The creature fixed it's large, brown eyes on my face before looking towards Ghirahim. It snorted a greeting to its master.

Ghirahim whispered something inaudible to it, scratching the fur on its broad muzzle.

"This is Obsidian." Ghirahim said quietly.

I grinned, reaching forward to pet it.

It's head jerked towards me, and I flinched. I noticed a chunk of its right ear was missing, and there was a pale scar along its left flank.

"Slow." Ghirahim murmured. He guided my hand onto the creature's nose, taking care to move extra slow. The horse nickered as I laid my hand between his warm nostrils, his warm breath brushing my wrist.

"What happened to him?" I asked.

"Obsidian was my warhorse. He's been at my side for decades." Ghirahim pointed to its old woulds. "He got these riding into battle with me on the front lines."

"Poor baby," I murmured, feeling sympathy for the large animal.

I guided my hand along his large cheek in amazement. I never really had scene horses up this close. I mean, maybe occasionally at petting zoos and fairs, but I'd never touched one this big. And if I had, I'd been too young to appreciate how swift the creatures could move for their size.

"He will be our...guide for the evening." Ghirahim informed me, untying its reins from the fence.

I backed away slowly as the creature moved its massive hooves out of the pen. I followed Ghirahim as he led Obsidian to the grass outside. In the dying sunlight, I was able to notice some more detail about the creature. It was somewhere between the size of a large stallion and a small Clydesdale. And from the base of its mane to his tail, there was no fur. His back was covered in round, glossy black scales. They looked similar to the ones covering the Imprisoned, except smaller.

"Where's my ride?" I asked.

Ghirahim untangled the reins. "Right here. Obsidian could carry three full-grown demons with ease. You will be riding with me."

I began to feel uncomfortable again, imagining being in such close proximity to the noble...having to hold onto him...

"What if I want my own horse?" I asked.

Ghirahim laughed. "Have you ever ridden a full-grown horse on your own?"

"Well..." I crossed my arms. "I _did_ ride a pony at the fair once. I mean, sure, there were some adults guiding it, and we were going about 2 miles per hour, but how hard could it be?" I asked.

"Exceedingly challenging, actually. And Nightmare Horses only obey experienced riders. Otherwise they can be as stubborn as a Goron." He explained.

"Alright. Point taken. I'll ride with you. And I _suppose _I'll let you drive." I said with a sigh.

Ghirahim beamed. He clicked his tongue, and the horse bent to a kneeling position. He slung a leg over it's broad back and slid to the front. He offered me a hand, and not wanting to fall and look ridiculous, I took it. Ghirahim carefully pulled me onto the horse behind him, and the creature stood up.

"Wrap your arms around my waist." He commanded.

"What? No! Do you know how..._awkward _that is? I barely even know you, let alone _trust _you!" I exclaimed, appalled.

"Suit yourself, then." He said with a shrug. He clicked his tongue and lightly jabbed his heel into the horse's side. The horse reared up, letting out a loud neigh. I gasped, instinctively throwing my arms around his waist, holding on for dear life. Then the horse surged forward. It was lightning-fast, covering land faster than I thought possible.

"Hold on tight!" Ghirahim called.

"Shut up!" I yelled. The wind rushed across my face, and I pressed my face into his shoulder.

I thought I heard him chuckle in amusement at me.

Then I shifted my face to the side. The speed...the wind rushing across my face...it was amazing. I let out a delighted laugh. It was just like a ride at an amusement park. Except, it felt more real, the _cloppity clop _of the horse's thundering hooves reminding me where I was.

Soon we had reached the edge of Faron woods, and the horse slowed to a quick trot.

"What are we doing here?" I asked.

"How many times do I have to tell you its a surprise?" Ghirahim shouted over my shoulder.

I looked towards the dying sunlight. It cast shimmering shadows over the trees, turning the sky vivid colors of orange, magenta, crimson, and blue, the clouds in the sky a blush-colored pink.

Soon the sun had almost completely disappeared, leaving only indigo and violet to stain the dusk sky. The stars were beginning to poke through the tropical colors; a glimmering series of pinpricks of light.

The sounds of the night began to fill the air; the buzz of insects vibrating through the trees, the croak of frogs rippling across the lake, the chirp of crickets rattling in the air like a tiny choir. A distant owl's hoot rippled through the trees. Just like the first time we were here, it was like a little, invisible orchestra, disturbed only by Obsidian's pounding hooves.

"It's beautiful!" I breathed. "But could you please tell me why we're here?"

"Because..." Ghirahim began, "I thought you would want to see this..."

As I watched, a stream of bright fireflies fluttered across the pond, adding their shimmering tinkle to the air like little fairies, and stirring up the moonlit water. The creatures swirled and swarmed, flickering their lights on and off like a pattern. They shifted between various long formations as if it were organized.

"Cool." I breathed.

"That's not all." Ghirahim warned. "Wait for it..."

Suddenly, a huge new army of the insects burst from the grass like a small, glittering explosion. They weaved between our heads, gradually rising towards the dark night sky. One of them landed on my nose, and I let out a small sneeze.

Ghirahim chuckled. "That was the girlyest sneeze I've ever heard." He teased.

"Shut up." I said with a light smile, gently pinching his side.

As we watched, hoards upon hoards of fireflies swirled up towards the sky, darting between vivid red, orange, and yellow leaves falling from the trees in the whistling wind.

"Where are they going?" I asked.

"You'll see." He answered.

Ghirahim brought his horse to a stop near the Great Tree. I allowed him to help me off. And then he offered his hand once again.

"What do you say we get a better view?" he suggested.

I cautiously touched my fingers to his wrist, and then we vanished in a glittering swirl of diamonds.

We appeared on a ledge just under the top branch in the great tree. Fireflies swirled up around our heads.

I looked behind us, my eyes locking on the moss attached to the bark. Link could use these to climb in the game, right?

"Come on. Let's go up there." I said.

Ghirahim hesitated, but he gave a stiff nod.

"Alright," he conceded.

I grabbed onto the moss, and then I pulled myself up the side of the tree. It wasn't actually that hard, considering I had a lot of experience scaling the side of Ghirahim's mansion with lesser footholds.

"Don't look down!" I joked.

I heard Ghirahim groan behind me. "Believe me—I won't."

I froze as something occurred to me. Something Malice said long ago...

"You're afraid of heights!"

Ghirahim said nothing, so I took that as a yes.

"Come on." I called down. Soon, I was at the top of the moss, and I hoisted myself over the edge. I backed up, allowing Ghirahim to climb up before setting down the path in the tree.

"Here is perfect." Ghirahim announced. I stood beside him near the edge of the cliff, watching the fireflies bolt upward. The buzzing turned into a rhythmic roar as each insect latched itself to the underside of a leaf. Soon, most of the insects had reached a leaf in the Great Tree. All of a sudden, as if on cue, all the insects lit up brighter than ever, their small bodies turning the giant tree into a burning beacon in the night sky.

"Whoa..." I gasped in a hushed voice.

Ghirahim turned to me and explained.

"These Faron Fireflies are much different than most insects. You see, because of the structure of their bodies, they can't take very extreme temperatures. They burrow under the snow all winter in a sleep akin to death. In the spring, the young hatch from their eggs and thrive under the night sky. During the summer, the young males burrow underground, and the females migrate to a land beyond Faron. And, because of their weather oriented life cycle, the previous generation dies in the summer heat. After summer ends—now—the males are full grown, and they emerge from their hiding place in the ground. And when they do this...they illuminate the trees so that the females can find their way back home after becoming large and well-fed in the far-away land.

"So that means..." I looked off into the distance.

A new, larger swarm of fireflies were breaking through the darkness, their small bodies much rounder than those of the males.

Soon the swarm had swept down upon the Great Tree, and the males exploded from their tents. Not a square inch of air was free from the insects. They blazed into the small holes in the trunk of the Great Trees, entering it's hollow middle.

"Then, the females choose a mate, and they lay their eggs inside the tree. After that, they must consume enough nutrients to last them until spring." Ghirahim finished.

"That's amazing." I breathed. Who knew that the insect could have such a complex, incredible life cycle.

"Wow." I said. "You know, fireflies are cool. I wish I could fly like one." I said, thinking out loud.

"I don't." Ghirahim declared.

"Why?" I asked. Then it hit me. "Oh yeah. Heights. Right."

I sat down, leaning my back against the trunk of the tree, and Ghirahim did the same.

"Doesn't this bother you, then?" I asked.

Ghirahim shrugged. "Somewhat. But I can't really see the forest floor from here. Between the trees and the ledge's angle...It's barely noticeable."

"Yeah." I agreed.

"You know..." he said. "If you were a firefly, I'm pretty sure you'd get lost on the way back here." He teased.

"Shut up," I laughed, gently smacking his arm.

Ghirahim laughed as well, shoving me back. I looked at him. His laugh—not the mocking one, but his real one—was actually kinda nice. It was a bit deeper and somewhat more light. It sounded a little more, I don't know, warm? My eyes met his, and they sparkled in the light of the living balls of light. For the first time, I realized his eyes were a dark, russet brown—not black.

I shivered a little, the night air finally catching up with me. Ghirahim blinked at me.

"Are you cold?" He asked, actually sounding concerned. My heart leaped a little (what the heck?)

"I'm fine." I answered, not wanting him to fuss. I looked at the ground in embarrassment.

"Hey, look at me." He said, putting a gentle hand on my chin. He tilted my face so I was meeting his gaze once again. "Are you cold?"

My cheeks felt a little warm. "I don't know, a little, I guess." I admitted.

Ghirahim smiled and took off his cape.

"What are you—" I was cut off as he pushed his mantle over my head. It was actually a bit warm.

"Er...thanks." I said.

Ghirahim closed his eyes. "Are you enjoying yourself, My Little Remlit?"

I hesitated. And then: "Yeah. I am. Thank you."

I watched the last few fireflies fly above our heads. I smiled. I hadn't been lying. In fact, I was actually really liking this. Ghirahim wasn't actually that bad when he was trying to be nice. Of course, he'd probably drop the act as soon as the sun came up tomorrow morning, but tonight I was happy to be in the presence of someone that I could call a name besides enemy.

I leaned against him ever so slightly.

Yes, someone I could call a...

...A friend.

For I finally came to terms with a fact that I'd probably known for the past few days:

Everything has changed.

* * *

**Whew! A lotta stuff happened in that chapter. I believe I hit everything.**

**So did you like it? Please fav/follow/review if you can! You readers are so awesome!**

**Anyway, Now that we are almost at 100,000 words and over 100 reviews, I have some thank-yous to do. I would like to thank everyone who reviewed. You've gave me a lot of kind words and reviews. Thanks!**

**I'd also like to thank Faengilrin for her constant support. You're always there for me to bounce ideas off of, and you've helped me make my story great! Thanks so much. If you guys like the Hobbit, she's working on a crossover with the Lord of the Rings series, and it's actually really good! It's called Unleashed, if you're interested.**

**Anyway, two quick fun facts:**

**1) I've had the idea for the horse ride for a long time, and I got extra inspiration from the instrumental piece I stumbled upon, called _Hypnotic Fireflies. _**

**2) When I wrote the scene in the training room, you guys probably noticed I incorporated some of his actual lines from the game when he was bragging about his appearance. The funny thing, though, is that right when I got to the part where he says "I mean, just look at me," no joke, the song _Sexy And I Know It _by LMFAO came on the radio. Seriously. I mean, freaky coincidence much?**

**Anyway, this is pretty long, and you're probably thinking "SHUT UP CATWHISKERS24!" so I will happily oblige. Hasta luego!**

**~Catwhiskers24~**


	33. Chapter 31: The Pit

**Hullo! Afternoon, my loyal readers! Here's a new chapter, as promised! I may even have the next one posted by Monday, but it will be a little short. We'll see. Anyway, I don't have much to say today, so I'm just gonna say this: Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own LoZ, just my alternate storyline and OC's. **

* * *

**Marissa's POV**

We got back late the next morning. I could barely drag my heavy feet u:p the stairs. All I can remember about that dawn was that the sunrise was beautiful, and I was more confused and exhausted than ever.

I'm pretty sure I watched that sunrise with Ghirahim, on that tree. As soon as the sun crept its way over the treetops, the entire forest was bathed in a breathtaking palette of creamy oranges, yellows, and magenta. I think my shoulder brushed his at one point, and we both jumped. Either that or I was asleep the entire time. I'm not sure.

Regardless, I woke up the next day to a gentle knock on the door.

"Miss?"

I sat up, rubbing my eyes.

"Um...yeah?" I called, confused by the unfamiliar female voice.

"May I come in?" The voice persisted.

"Sure..." I answered, shakily getting to my feet.

The door slowly creaked open, and a meek little maid crept in. She was young—probably just a few years older than me. Her hair was covered by a tight white cloth, and she was careful not to meet my eyes when she began speaking to me.

"Lord Ghirahim has assigned me to be your new handmaiden," the girl informed me. "How may I be of service?"

I stared at her in surprise. "Er, I'm actually good. You don't have to serve me. It's fine."

The maid shifted from foot-to-foot in awkward hesitation. "Ghirahim was very firm. He says I am to attend your every need," the maid insisted.

"Well," I hesitated. "How about you just tell me your name and we call it good?"

"I suppose..." the girl bit her lip. "I'm—my _name _is—Brooke."

"Brooke. That's a nice name." I said.

The girl curtsied, blushing in embarrassment. "Thank you, Miss. I must admit, though, that mine is one of the more standard names. Females in our tribe tend to be named after aspects of natural beauty, in the hope that we are just as elegant."

"That's interesting," I said earnestly. "But are you sure that it isn't just because the men see girls as fragile, innocent, defenseless flowers who need to be protected?"

Brooke smiled a little. "That may be so." She said quietly. Then she cleared her throat. "In any case, I am at your service. How may I assist you?"

I tilted my head. "Honestly, you don't have to be my servant. I've done most everything myself for the past fifteen years. Besides, I don't believe in slavery."

The she-demon glanced at the door. "But Lord Ghirahim..."

"You don't have to worry. I'll tell him you did a wonderful job." I promised her.

Brooke hesitated for a few moments more, but then she nodded.

"Very well. Thank you, Miss."

"Please," I laughed. "Just call me Marissa."

The maid looked a bit bewildered, but she nodded once again.

"I shall try and remember, Miss...Marissa."

The girl turned to the door, and exited quietly.

I turned to my wardrobe, which had been stocked with a plethora of different outfits. Of course, being the girl with a strict, practical fashion sense, I did have my go-to outfit. So, I took my blue knight's uniform—which the maids had learned to wash overnight—from the rack, and I slipped into my clothes.

After I was done changing, I sat on the edge of my bed. I was still curious about my new handmaiden. Ghirahim knew I was fairly independent, so I didn't understand why he had assigned Brooke to serve me.

And since when did _I _have servants? I still was a bit of a servant myself!

I sighed, too exhausted to ponder about this pointless topic for much longer.

But it was at that moment that I realized I had just told Brooke my biggest secret.

* * *

"Hungry, My Remlit?"

I stopped abruptly outside my door. Ghirahim was waiting a few feet away with a small smile on his face.

"Yeah, actually. In fact, I think-"

"Well it will have to wait." Ghirahim interrupted. "I have something else planned for this morning."

"But I'm hungry!" I protested.

Ghirahim sighed, but he put a hand on my shoulder. "Would you really like to eat something first?" he asked, moving his face so that it was inches from mine.

"Yes!"

"_Tough_," he said, giving me one of his perfectly maddening smirks.

"Ugh!" I rolled my eyes. "You little..."

Ghirahim held up a hand. "Now, now, Sky Child. There is no need to be difficult. You will enjoy this."

"Oh yeah?" I folded my arms. "Will I?"

Ghirahim raised an eyebrow. "I thought you_ liked _exploring Faron Woods..."

"Oh!" pumped my fist. "Yes! YES! That is _so _much better than being stuck in this little manor all morning."

"Little?" Ghirahim scoffed.

"Come on. Let's go!" I exclaimed, dashing down the stairs.

"_Little..._" I heard Ghirahim echo once more.

* * *

Ghirahim led the way to the front door, and I obediently followed. He walked at a brisk pace, so that when we passed Malice, I barely had a chance to glance at him. I tried to catch his eyes, but he seemed to be intentionally averting his gaze.

I tried not to let this bother me as I continued to walk beside Ghirahim. As soon as we reached the entrance to the manor, the noble offered his hand, and we teleported into the forest.

"Where are we going?" I asked, falling into step beside him as soon as the nausea from teleporting wore off.

"I have something to tell you." Ghirahim began.

I quieted immediately, curious to hear what was so important that we had to leave the manor.

"Yes?"

Ghirahim was silent for a moment, but then he began to speak. "I believe I told you that I am the servant of a powerful master, yes?"

"Yeah..."

"And I've told you that I have to apprehend your friend, the Spirit Maiden, in order to revive my master?"

"I think you've mentioned it," I said evenly.

Ghirahim hesitated before going on. "You understand, of course, how important this mission is to me?" he pressed.

"Well, sort of..." I muttered.

Ghirahim drew his hand over his face. "I am one of Demise's more..._special_ servants."

"Special?" I asked, though I could guess what he meant.

"Yes. Special in that I hold a very unique, important position. I am his most important servant." He clarified.

And by that, he meant he served as Demise's sword spirit. But he'd never tell _me_ that. Not yet, anyway.

"There is one thing, however, that I have not told you." Ghirahim admitted.

"Oh yeah?" I raised an eyebrow. "And what is that?"

"My master, Demise..." Ghirahim stopped. "He resides here, in this forest."

"Yeah, I kno—" I suddenly broke off. How would I know that if I were a normal Skyloftian, like he thought? "Er, I mean, _what_?"

Ghirahim gestured to his right, and I realized we had come to the entrance to the Sealed Grounds.

"Demise is imprisoned," he pointed towards the direction of the Pit. "In there."

I stared in the direction he was pointing. I was both surprised and a little honored that Ghirahim trusted me enough to tell me this. I suppose, I _was_ his guard. He kind of had to trust me.

"I..." I glanced at him. "I guess I'm not exactly sure what to say. Sorry...?"

Ghirahim shook his head. "My master has been imprisoned for decades. I have been the stand-in leader of my realm ever since. But as soon as I get the Spirit Maiden, that will all change."

"Ghirahim..." I bit my lip.

"Yes?"

"I can't let you capture her." I told him firmly. "I know I'm supposed to protect you, but I just..." I trailed off. "Demise is as evil as they come. I can't let you sacrifice my friend to resurrect him."

Ghirahim smiled a little. "Your loyalty is admirable," he admitted. "But I'm afraid it is not up to you. And you mustn't worry. I will not make you betray her."

I nodded.

"That said," Ghirahim went on. "Should you ever stand in my way again...well..." Ghirahim gave me a hard look. "Let's just say we may have a..._problem_."

I laughed a little. "Understood,"

Ghirahim nodded, and then glanced back towards the Pit. "I should admit...being his servant...it's hard sometimes. That's what I've learned. Loyalty can hurt sometimes. But it..."

Without warning, Ghirahim's dark eyes rolled back into his head, and he swayed forward.

"Ghir—" My eyes grew huge as he fell forward, and I ran towards him, catching him as he fell forward. He was trembling violently.

"Ghirahim?" I called his name once again, before I eased him to the ground.

Ghirahim laid in a fitful position, twitching now and then.

"What the..?" I muttered.

Ghirahim's eyes suddenly flickered open, but his gaze was clouded with fear.

"No, not tonight," he begged to an invisible tormentor. "Not tonight!"

He writhed on the ground, as if he was in agonizing pain. Not knowing what else to do, I took off my adventure pouch, and laid it beneath his head.

I'm not sure how long I knelt by his side, watching with concern as he convulsed on the ground as if he was having a seizure.

"Wake up!" I begged, beginning to panic. But just as suddenly as the seizure had begun, it had stopped.

"Master!" he gasped, sitting up with a start. His gaze suddenly cleared, and he looked around in confusion, as if he didn't know where he was.

"Ghirahim," I said a little louder. His head snapped towards me.

"I..." he wiped a bead of sweat from his temple. "What happened?"

"You just...collapsed. And then you were twitching and saying...'not tonight'." I watched him with confusion. "What was that?"

Ghirahim's chest rose and fell rapidly as his sudden fear subsided. He was quiet for a moment.

"N-Nothing," he stammered. "Forget you saw that."

"But—"

Ghirahim held up his hand for silence. "Come," he said, clearing his throat. "We must return to the manor."

"Can you walk?" I asked, giving him a hand up.

Ghirahim winced, but he nodded anyway.

"You can lean on me if you want." I offered.

Ghirahim shook his head. "No, I shall just warp us back."

"You sure?"

Ghirahim nodded, and took my hand. I noticed it was still shaking slightly as he teleported us back.

What happened to him?

* * *

**Ghirahim's POV**

When we returned to the manor, I returned to my room without another word. I was utterly humiliated after having collapsed in the middle of Faron Woods. I was ashamed and embarrassed that she'd seen me in such a pathetic state.

Usually my visions weren't that strong. Being my master, Demise could easily enter my mind to communicate with me. But most of the time I would just feel an odd sense of vertigo as he spoke telepathically. This time, however, I'd felt dizzy and lightheaded. I'd lost all control in my limbs, and all I could do was collapse. I was guessing it had something to do with the fact that we were by the Pit when it happened. Demise's connection was always stronger there.

I flung open my door in frustration. Tonight; why did it have to be _tonight_?

I slammed the door of my room and collapsed onto my bed. What was I to tell my master? That I failed? I had known for a while that I would have to report to Demise, I had just been hoping that I could wait until I actually had something _good_ to report. I couldn't imagine what Demise would do to me once he found out that I'd failed at a perfect opportunity to capture the Spirit Maiden.

I leaned against the headboard of the bed and groaned.

Last time I'd come to Demise with nothing new to report...

I shivered at the memory. He had threatened me last time, telling me our next meeting would be worse if I couldn't accomplish anything useful to my long endeavor.

Tonight. It _had _to be tonight.

* * *

The Sealed Grounds were silent when I warped to them. Not a single bird chirped. The skies were dark as dusk approached, and the murky blue was a mix of orange and vermilion, with a swirl of clouds dotting the mix occasionally.

I glanced around, looking for the old woman, but luckily she was no where to be seen. As I stalked down the spiral to the middle of the Pit, I rehearsed what I would say in my head. I had to choose my words carefully in order to avoid inciting my master's rage. As it is, he would be furious I had failed my mission, as well as the fact that I was late.

I braced myself for the worst, squared my shoulders, and approached the seal.

"Master? It is I, your faithful servant. I have come to report." I called, clenching my fists with frustration as my voice trembled slightly.

A dark silhouette appeared before me; the shadowy version of Demise. It was the only way we could meet while Hylia's seal was still trapping him. Though he only had a fraction of his full powers in this state, I still struggled not to quake with fear. The specter stepped forward, shaking the ground with each step.

"Master," I said, bowing down on one knee as respectfully as one could be.

"Ah, servant. You have good news, I presume?" He asked, his voice level.

I straightened slowly, considering my words. "I do." Then I added, "Well, of sorts anyway."

"Then don't just _stand_ there. Report it, sword!" He snapped.

"I...er...found a new servant. She has basic skills with a sword, she's clever, courageous, and at times quite loyal. She may deny it, but I think she cares for me more than she lets on. I think she-" Demise silenced me with a wave of his hand.

"I asked for good news." He growled.

I swallowed, my mouth dry. "My lord?"

"I asked you for good news, not the insipid events happening in your life. Unless this _girl_ is the Spirit Maiden, I do not care." He said coldly.

"I..um...yes master. Sorry, master."

Demise waved away the apology. "I sensed the Spirit Maiden's presence here in Faron Woods. I trust you were able to apprehend her?"

"I...er...yes, about that..." I choked out. Demise stalked forward, until we were face-to-face. It was all I could do to not shrink away.

"You _did_ capture her, did you not?" I flinched at his gradually rising voice.

"I-I...No, master." I stuttered. I fell to my knees before him. "I am sorry. Please have mercy on me!"

Demise's two flaming eyes blazed. The Demon King picked me up by the neck. His hands were cast in shadow, but they were no less solid than my own.

"You _failed__?_" He snarled. He tightened his grip on my throat. I gasped for air, hanging limply from his grasp.

"I..." I choked as he crushed my windpipe.

"I told you I wanted the girl in our clutches as soon as she appeared," he ranted, squeezing still harder.

"Green...hero." I coughed. Demise released me, and I collapsed to the ground at his feet, gasping for breath. I burst into a fit of agonizing, hacking coughs.

"You were stopped by the hero?" He demanded. "That puny boy defeated you?"

"I..he's strong, master. He had the Master Sword. And..." I trailed off, hesitant to admit that it had been my new servant who had foiled my, and in turn, my master's plans.

"I...there was an incident. I was momentarily distracted, and she was able to get away. The attack nearly cost me my life!" I spluttered desperately, pleading him to understand.

"It may has well have!" Demise snarled. I flinched, hurt stabbing through me. "The Spirit Maiden must not be allowed to return to the past. It is imperative that you capture her as soon as possible."

"I understand, master." I said evenly.

Demise narrowed his eyes. "Do you now? All your failures have made me question your loyalty. In any case, you haven't accomplished anything in _years_. Give me one good reason why I shouldn't dispose of you now, and find a more capable sword."

I gasped at what he was implying.

"Master, I have done nothing but serve you. Just...Just give me some more time." I pleaded.

Demise snorted. "Very well. But be sure you do not let this servant girl distract you."

My eyes widened in shock.

"Master! I swear, I would never do such a thing. She means nothing to me."

"Then why don't you dispose of her?" Demise pried. "I have supplied you with an abundance of servants already. Is she really of any use to us?"

I considered my answer carefully, knowing that it could very well decide her fate.

"She...isn't like most humans. She knows more than she lets on. I would like to observe her. I think there is something we can learn from her." I ventured. Demise crossed his arms in suspicion, but then he nodded.

"Very well. Get as much information from her as you can, and then discard the little wretch. I don't care what it takes; just find out what she knows." Demise commanded.

My mouth went dry. "You mean, _torture_ her?" I asked. Demise's hollow orange eyes widened in fake shock.

"Why, servant, you haven't gone _soft_ have you?" He hissed.

"No, sir. I just don't see it necessary to put the young woman through such pain."

"Not necessary?" Demise said, his voice but a whisper. Before I knew what was happening, he slapped me across the face. Pain exploded in my right cheek. As I clutched the bruising skin, Demise pushed me to the ground, almost shattering my shoulder with his enormous hands.

"You promised to revive me, no matter the cost. I did warn you that I am beginning to question your loyalty." He snarled, moving his foot so it was planted on my chest. "You are to kill anyone who stands in your way. I don't care if it's the hero, the girl, that old woman, or whoever else. Are we clear?"

"I-I..." I stuttered. Demise's flaming eyes narrowed, and he stepped down harder.

"Master...please..." I wheezed. He continued to step down even harder.

"I said, _are we clear?" _I heard a crack and cried out as I felt several ribs break like twigs underneath his foot. My vision swam with stabbing pain.

"We're...c-clear." I coughed, gritting my teeth at the pain.

"Good. You are to find the Spirit Maiden, or die trying."

"Yes, master. I understand." I choked out.

"Don't forget," he growled.

Demise held his foot on me a moment longer, and then he was gone.

I laid on the ground for awhile after he left, trying to collect myself. Eventually, I took a deep breathe—though it wasn't as deep as I would've liked; I could barely breathe because of my ribs—and tried to sit up.

I cried out in pain at the fire in my chest. I wanted to sob; to wail like a lost child. I couldn't believe the mess I'd been caught in. Weariness, stress, and hopelessness swept through me as I thought of what tasks I had yet to achieve, and I felt ill. I ran a hand down my face and stood up. I immediately lost my balance and fell down onto my side. My eyes filled with tears at a burst of new pain, nausea tightening my throat. Every breath felt like knives rattling around in my chest.

I cursed my weakness with the blackest oaths I knew, and rubbed my eyes with the back of my hand. I ignored the pain shooting up my spine and stood up. I knew I wouldn't have enough strength to warp home, so I would have to walk. As I began to climb the winding path, I heard a dark whisper of "_Don't forget_..."

I fought back a snarl.

"Don't worry, " I muttered. "I won't."

* * *

**Ouch...that's gotta hurt. What's going to happen next? You'll find out soon!**

**Questions? Constructive criticism or other comments? Please review! I appreciate all the reviews I've received so far. They always make my day! If you can, please Fav/Follow.**

**Happy Pie Day 2015 everyone! That's 3/14/15. You should try to have an actual pie at 9:26, cause I know I sure will.**

**In case I'm not back until next weekend, Happy St. Patrick's Day! Stay green, Linkyboy. Stay green.**

**Bye!**

**~Catwhiskers24~**


	34. Chapter 32: Loyalty Can Heal

**Yes! I did it! Two chapters in one weekend! Just as promised, here it is. **

**Like yesterday, I don't have much to say, so here it is:**

**Disclaimer: I do not own LoZ.**

* * *

**Marissa's POV**

"C'mon, I want to see as much of this mansion as possible before he gets back!" I called to Malice. Ghirahim had left for some reason or another, but he'd surprised me with what he'd had to say.

"I have to go somewhere for the evening," he had said "but feel free to explore the main level of the manor. Just stay out of my room. I will be back by sundown, and I expect you to be ready to work as soon as I return."

Now I had but a couple hours to explore this entire manor. "Where should we go?" I called to my companion. He came to a stop beside me. After my short discussion with Ghirahim, I'd tracked down Malice so that he could join me on my adventure.

"It's past sundown." Malice remarked. We should probably stay here. Ghirahim will be back any minute."

I nudged him. "Oh come on, Al. We're never allowed to do this. Just show me one more room." He made a face. "Please?" I begged. The servant sighed.

"Fine, but if you get into trouble, it's on you." He warned.

I beamed. "Yay! You're the best!"

His cheeks glowed red. "I wouldn't say _that_, but thanks anyway. So, would you like to see the hospital wing? I mean, you've already been in it, but I could show you around. You might even get to meet Herb if he's not too busy." Malice offered, clearing his throat.

I nodded vigorously.

He sighed. "Okay. Remember, the infirmary is through the barracks and to the right."

The words had barely left his lips before I was speeding off in that direction.

"Ocean, wait!" He exclaimed, stumbling after me.

I reached a door on the far end of the barracks. Carved into a plaque outside the door was the word "**Infirmary**."

I reached forward and pulled open the large wooden door. When I walked into the room, I was able to get a better look at the detail. The hospital wing was about the size of a high school cafeteria, with a ceiling towering high above our heads. Every few feet was a window, slanted with the roof, and through it I could see a dark violet sky. Two rows of beds filled the room; one on either side. Shelves lined the walls above the beds. At the back of the room, their was a section to the right blocked off with a curtain.

But I didn't notice much of that right away. Sitting on one of the beds, beaten and bleeding, was none other than Ghirahim.

I gasped at his condition. His eyes were dull and defeated, staring at the ground a few feet in front of him. His right cheek was swollen and covered in a collage of bruises. Blood trickled out of the corner of his mouth and ringed his nose. The top of his tight jumpsuit was torn, dirty, and peeling off his right shoulder. The skin on his chest and the top of his abdomen were swollen and a mottled green-and-purple. He gripped the edge of the bed, seeming to be in worlds of pain with each breath.

"Holy cats, Ghirahim, what _happened_ to you?" I exclaimed.

He glared at me, taking in a ragged breath, which turned into a hacking cough. The demon winced and let out a string of curses. Then he looked at me again.

"It's none of your concern." He grumbled.

I stepped towards him, ignoring Malice's protests.

"Come on, you can tell me. You really need help." I told him. He snorted.

"I already have a healer tending to my wounds." Ghirahim said, wincing in pain. I looked around.

"Where is this 'healer', then?" I asked, crossing my arms.

"He is retrieving some bandages to bind my injuries," Ghirahim replied wearily.

"Bind your..." I frowned. "Wait, did you break your ribs or something?" I asked. He didn't respond. I felt a pang of sympathy for him, and the strange desire to help alleviate his suffering.

"Leave. I expect you to be ready to train tomorrow," he commanded. I sat next to him on the bed.

"You heard him, Al. Go." I commanded. The younger demon opened his mouth, but he obediently left. Ghirahim glared at me.

"You too, Sky Child. You may leave now," he said, though his voice lacked conviction.

"Nope. I'm gonna take care of you." I said in a sing-songy voice. He glanced at me with an unreadable expression. I thought I saw a smile tug at his lips, but I couldn't be sure. I smiled reassuringly, hesitantly putting a hand on his shoulder. He immediately yelped in pain.

"Sorry!" I exclaimed sheepishly, jumping back.

"Please leave."

"Nope." I walked to the sink. I filled a glass with water, and then ran water over a washcloth. Returning to his side, I held out the glass of water. He gave it a cautious look, and then took a sip. I looked from his soot-covered face to the washcloth. Then I tentatively reached forward. He flinched back, but I continued my attempt. With a sigh, he allowed me to dab at the blood on his face. We were silent for a few seconds, and then I spoke.

"Please tell me what happened." I said quietly.

"Why would I do that?" He snapped.

"Because what harm could it do, really? You came back looking like death, so obviously I'm curious what happened. I promise I wouldn't try to use this against you. Honestly I don't know how I would." I said softly.

"I don't want to talk about it." He muttered.

I nodded. I guess I could respect that.

"Okay." I sighed. Then a thought occurred to me. "It was Demise, wasn't it? You went to see him, and he did this to you for failing to capture Zelda?" He didn't respond, so I took it as a yes.

"You don't have to let him do this, you know." I murmured. He shook his head.

"Yes I do." He sighed.

"Why?" I asked.

"It's...complicated." He answered. I decided not to press him any further.

By now, I had cleaned the layer of soot and blood off his face. I looked at his chest. It looked extremely painful.

"Are your ribs broken?" I asked again.

He shrugged. "Probably." He answered. "But it doesn't matter. It's happened before. The healer will treat it as soon as he returns."

I nodded, unsure what to do about the injury. I lightly washed the blood of his chest, feeling sick at the crackling noises they made in some places. I decided to leave well enough alone before I pushed a bone into his lung or something. I sat next to him on the bed. Seeing the inhumane way his master used to punish him made me sick. I wanted to cry. Whether I liked to admit it or not, I did care about Ghirahim, and I didn't like seeing him, or anyone, in pain. I wanted to comfort him; to commiserate with him.

"Is there anything I can do for you?" I asked him. He looked at me in surprise.

"No."

"Are you okay?" I asked.

He shrugged. "I've been better. I suppose I am just tired."

I nodded. A few seconds later, he began to sway with exhaustion. He closed his eyes and fell to the side. I guided his head onto my shoulder. He muttered something, but it was lost in sleep.

Suddenly, the door burst open, and a small demon stepped in, holding a large bundle of bandages. He had messy, very blond hair, and looks that could be considered a scruffy handsome. The appearance was finished by a pair of stormy gray eyes.

"Who are you?" I asked. He blinked.

"I could ask you the same thing, considering you are in _my_ office." He retorted.

"So you are the healer?"

"Indeed."

"What's your name?" I asked.

"Most people just call me Herb." He answered simply. He seemed like a very blunt, down-to-earth kind of person. I had a feeling I'd like him.

Ghirahim jerked awake on my shoulder.

"Ah...Herb you are back." He said. The other demon nodded slowly.

"I am. Would you mind telling me who this _girl_ is?"

"This is my newest servant..."he stopped, glancing at me in slight embarrassment. I almost laughed. Of course Ghirahim would forget my name.

"Ocean," I supplied, remembering to use my alias this time.

Herb glanced at me briefly. "Well it's a pleasure and all, but I have work to do. So if you would kindly leave, I'd be grateful."

"No, she may stay." Ghirahim said, surprising me. Herb glanced between the two of us and then shrugged.

"Have it your way, then. I will prepare the bandage wrap." He announced.

My eyes widened. "Wait, are you gonna, like, bind him up in some tight bandage or something?" I asked.

"Of course. Why?" Herb asked.

"Well, I read somewhere that binding the chest can cause a collapsed lung or pneumonia because of restricted breathing or something like that." I answered.

It was true. I can't exactly recall if it was for an assignment, or from pure curiosity, but I remember researching how modern doctors treat broken ribs. Everywhere I read, there was mention of the old practice of binding the chest, but most sites said that this could cause more trouble than it was worth.

Herb stared at me. "Then what do you propose we do? Without the binding, any snapped ribs are liable to cause internal damage." He pointed out.

"I think he should just rest for a couple days, and he should be fine. Oh, and we could also ice the bruises. It may be more painful, but it's better than getting some deadly lung disease." I answered, surprising myself with my knowledge on the subject.

"Go with her idea." Ghirahim spoke up. "She's smarter than she looks."

Herb glared at the both of us. "I thought _I_ was the healer here." He complained, making a face. Then he sighed. "Oh, very well. I at least want to assess the damage."

Herb put a pointed ear against Ghirahim's chest. After a moment he stood back.

"Well...your breathing and heartbeat sound suitable, I suppose. But I want to see which ribs are damaged." The healer put his hand on the other demon's chest and pushed on one of the bruises. Ghirahim gasped, grimacing. He clenched his fists tightly. As Herb continued to examine the bruises, Ghirahim seemed to be in a lot of pain. Every once in a while, the bones would make a crunching sound. Tears gathered in the corners of his eyes. Seeing so much pain made me feel abnormally awkward. I could almost feel his pain as I watched, though I knew it was just my imagination.

Ghirahim grabbed my wrist, and I didn't shy away. Each time Herb touched a bruise, he would squeeze my arm a little more. By the time it was over, I was wincing at the dull ache.

Herb stood back. "Well, most of the ribs are just bruised, though there are a couple fractures. I think if you just relax for several days, you should be fine." He ambled towards the door. "I will bring some ice. Just get yourself comfortable." Then he left, and it was just the two of us.

I expected Ghirahim to ask how I knew how to treat his injuries, or why he should trust me, but he didn't. Instead, he stared at me for a few seconds.

"Why?" He asked.

"Huh?"

"Why would you help me?" He asks. From his face I could tell he was completely spent.

"Because I don't want to see you in pain. I think everyone needs compassion and deserves a little kindness once in a while." I reasoned. He stared at me with a mixture of emotions. His sad eyes seemed to brighten. Then I stood up.

"Why don't you just lie down now?" I suggested. Ghirahim nodded and leaned back so his head was on the pillow. I took a blanket from a neighboring bed, and pulled it up to his belly. I knelt near the head of the bed. His eyes met mine. In the light, I could clearly see the dark brown irises ringing his pupil. How could I ever think they were black?

He smiled up at me with an expression of conflicted surprise and confusion, and I wondered if I was the first person to ever show him true kindness. He opened his mouth as if to speak, but then closed it. I smiled at him, and rubbed his arm. His gaze grew blurry, and then he closed his eyes in sleep.

I placed a hand on his side, noticing how it trembled as he breathed. For the first time I sort of understood him. If he refused to serve Demise, he would receive an inhumane beating. If he obeyed, he was rewarded with servants, money, power, and his master's praise. While I could not condone his actions, I could still try to help him to not continue making the wrong ones. I realized that perhaps if I won his favor, and showed that I—unlike Demise—actually cared for him, he might side with me.

I jumped as the door opened. Herb stepped in with a basket filled with ice.

"I'm not interrupting anything, am I?" He asked with an amused chuckle. I jumped back, shaking my head.

"N-No." I stuttered.

"Good." He said sarcastically. "I'm ever so grateful to have your approval, O' Great Healer." He set the basket on a table separating the beds. With practiced hands, he snapped off a chunk of ice and wrapped it in a cloth. "Is this suitable?" He asked dryly.

"Yeah." I answered, accepting the bundle. Herb turned to the door.

"I trust you can handle this? I have a crowd of idiot bokoblins to tend to. The brainless things got into a scuffle over some leftover cucco stew." He hesitated and turned back to me. "If you want, you could come back tomorrow, and we could exchange healing techniques." He offered.

"Uh, okay. I don't actually know much, but..." I admitted.

Herb shrugged.

"Well, then I can teach you. It'd be nice to have an extra pair of hands to help me out here, anyway." He remarked, turning back to the door.

"Um...sure. Sounds fun."

"Well, see you later then, Ocean." He said with a wink.

It took me several moments to realize I should say, "Okay."

Herb nodded, and then he left. I gently rested the bundle of ice on Ghirahim's chest. After a few seconds, I adjusted my grip. He stirred a bit, and I heard him murmur something in his sleep. I could've sworn it was my name. Either that or, "_cushion._" I decided to go with Ocean.

I smiled and brushed some snow-white hair out of his eyes.

"I'm here, my friend. I'll look after you."

* * *

**So yeah, not my longest chapter, but hopefully it was suitable. If you can please review! And I'm curious, what are your thoughts on Malice? Thoughts, predictions? Anyway, thanks everyone. And again, may the luck of the Irish be with you this week.**

**~Catwhiskers24~**


	35. Chapter 33: The Pained Heartthrob

**Hello! How's life? I don't have much time, so I'll skip my frivolous babbling. Read!**

**Please :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own LoZ. If I did, I would be rich and not plagued by homework.**

* * *

**Marissa's POV**

_One..._

_Two..._

_ Thr—Dang it!_

My cylindrical pillow slipped from my fingers and I got a face full of satin softness.

I sighed and threw the cushion up once again.

Yes, this is what my life has come to—lying on my bed and playing catch with myself. I stared up at the ceiling and waited for the pillow to come falling back towards me. I waited until the last second, when the pillow was inches from my face, and then I caught it. _Ohh...how exciting..._

More like excruciating.

I clutched the pillow to my chest and burrowed my face into the plushy material. Then I proceeded to rolling onto my stomach, with my head hanging off the bed.

In case it's hard to tell, I was _bored._ Like, super bored. I kept waiting for Ghirahim to yell at me to get my lazy rear out of bed and get dressed, but his voice never came. And it wouldn't for a while—Ghirahim was still in the hospital bed, recovering.

Theoretically, I probably had a good chance to escape, as my 'master' was currently in the infirmary, trying to avoid permanent damage from injuries _his _master gave him.

But it just didn't feel right, escaping. At this point, I wasn't sure that was the best call anymore. Considering I was apparently supposed to be protecting Ghirahim (and I was obviously doing one _hell _of a job), I didn't think leaving was such a good idea. Besides, it didn't feel necessary any more. Yes, Ghirahim was as egotistical, ostentatious, and narcissistic as he looked. I won't argue with that. And I definitely wouldn't deny that he could be sadistic, insane, and crazy annoying. He could obviously be a pompous blockhead who liked to flaunt about the manor. That was all true. Few could ever get to me like Ghirahim could. Sometimes, I just wanted to punch the idiot in the face really hard. Anyway, Mr. Fabuhim was definitely the most exasperating, irksome, unbelievable, self-centered braggart I knew.

But not always.

When he wasn't being a supercilious a-hole, Ghirahim could actually be kind of nice. And sweet, and considerate, and fun, and hilarious. But that was in the rare occasion that he decided to drop his whole pride act and actually tried to be tolerable. That's when he became someone I wanted in my life as a good friend. I mean, I'll admit it. Somehow, as strange as Ghirahim was, he had this...this odd pizzazz. He had that alluring _je ne sais quoi _that made him oddly charismatic. And that drove me insane.

As I laid there, contemplating my life so to speak, I began to shift around. I found myself rolling onto my back once again. Then I spun sideways. Between my jerking movement and my oblivious mindlessness, I accidentally let my iPhone slip from my boot, and it landed on the floor with a _thunk._

But I didn't worry. Lucky for a clumsy girl like me, my case—and therefore my phone—was virtually indestructible. I've probably dropped it an average of three times per week.

As expected, when I picked up my phone, it was fine. I turned it on.

12:31.

It was past noon. I looked at the date, and my eyes widened. It had only been about three earth days since I'd last been to my home. That was still a while, but less than I feared. Still, I knew I had to get back soon to show my parents I was okay.

I pushed the thought out of my mind and unlocked my phone. No cell service; no wi-fi. Of course.

I opened one of the games and began to play. I hadn't so much as gotten to 128 in _2048_, when I heard a knock on my door.

Panicked, I threw the modern-day device onto my desk and cleared my throat.

"Yes?" I called.

"Miss?" Brooke's voice was a bit hushed. "May I come in?"

"Yeah." I sat up.

Brooke cautiously opened the door and walked in.

"Greetings, Miss Marissa. I have come to tidy up. Do you mind?"

"It's fine," I nodded. Then I stopped. "Hey, can you please not call me Marissa anymore?"

Brooke's eyes widened. "Oh no, I haven't done something wrong, have I?"

I shook my head quickly. "No, not at all. It's just, well, see..." I bowed my head. "Look, I have a secret. And if you can keep it, I will be sure to let it slip to Ghirahim that you are the best maid I've ever had."

Brooke's eyes widened. "Of-Of course!" she exclaimed. "Best maid...wow..." she shook her head. "That would be amazing."

I blinked. "Anyway, here it is:" I took a deep breath. "My name isn't Ocean. It's Marissa."

Brooke stiffened. "But Lord Ghirahim said..."

I shook my head. "I lied to him."

"Oh dear..." the girl looked pale. "But..."

"Look," I stood up to face her. "I _had_ to lie to him. I was scared and I thought an alias was a good idea. And I would like to keep this a secret if you don't mind. It won't do any harm to him, I promise. I want him to be safe as much as you do. And for me to do that, I need him to trust me. And if revealed, this secret would destroy any trust he has for me. You understand?"

Brooke bit her lip. "Yes...Yes I suppose. But I believe Ghirahim trusts you quite a bit. If he didn't, I wouldn't think he would've taken you on that horse ride. He struggles to have..._intimate_ relationships, if you understand what I mean."

"Um..." I blinked. "What exactly do you mean by that?"

Brooke nervously began to make the bed as she spoke. "He doesn't say it—though everyone still knows—but Lord Ghirahim has trust issues. Too many times has he been betrayed or hurt by those closest to him. The fact that he's placed so much faith in you..." Brooke broke off. "You are very privileged, being trusted that much. It's nearly an anomaly for him to spend so much time with someone besides his master. If I should be so bold, I would suggest that you not abuse that trust. I...I don't want you to hurt him." The maid blushed as she said that last part. "You are lucky. Yes, very lucky."

I turned to face her.

"You _like _him, don't you?" I realized.

The maid looked away. "My preferences are of no value—I am but a lowly maid. But yes, I admit, Ghirahim is one of the more...captivating nobles in the manor."

I laughed aloud. "Brooke, are you saying he's _hot_?"

Brooke's face turned even more red. "I...er...he's attractive, yes." She admitted.

I laughed again. "Ghirahim. _Attractive_. Really? He wears girl's clothes for Heaven's sake! I mean, have you _seen_ the weird diamond holes in his spandex?"

"Yes, they really show off his _muscles_, don't they?" She said with a strange look on her face.

"Yup. They really make him look _dreamy._" I said dryly.

"I know!" Brooke gave a little bounce. Apparently recognizing sarcasm wasn't her in her list of skills.

"Yeah," I stared at her in confusion. "If you like him so much, why don't you just talk to him? I mean, I'm _pretty sure_ he's single."

Hot dang, this was becoming high school all over again.

It was Brooke's turn to laugh. "Oh, Miss, you have much to learn about how things work here. He wouldn't care that I fancy him. Most of the females in this manor have a liking for him. But no one has stood out to him, least of all a lowly servant. There are plenty of other prettier, higher status women in this manor who have a much better chance than I. No, I am satisfied with just being his servant."

"Seriously," I laughed. "That many people like him? He's..." I shook my head. "Wow..."

"His eyes are quite _breathtaking._" Brooke pointed out.

"Yes. Quite. Anyway, I could help you talk to him. After all, curious as it is, Ghirahim tends to at least try to listen to me." I hesitated. "Well, sometimes."

Brooke shook her head. Then she smiled at me, her timidness temporarily forgotten. "Yes," she smiled a knowing smile. "Curious indeed."

* * *

"So," I said, sitting at the foot of Ghirahim's bed. "You're quite the heartthrob of this place, huh?"

Ghirahim seemed to blush a little, but it was hard to tell with his nearly colorless complexion.

"Ah, yes. I assume you learned this particular tidbit from your handmaiden, yes?"

I grinned. "Maybe."

Ghirahim sat up a little, wincing as he did so. "I assumed you two would take part in such gossip. Females are prone to such hobbies, of course."

"Hey!" I smacked his arm in a good-natured way. "Shut up, you sexist moblin! You know, you're the last one I'd expect to have such stereotypes, Mr. Purple-Eyeshadow."

"Ouch,"Ghirahim shrugged. "What I say is true. And my fashion sense is quite common in this realm. Why do you think so many girls can't take their eyes off me? I'm _gorgeous._"

"Oh, shut up," I said again, rolling my eyes. But my smile still didn't fade.

"So," I said. "If you're such a dreamboat, then how come you don't have a mistress or anything? I'd think you'd have the ladies pounding on your door, like, 'oh Ghirahim, let me in. I want to be your one-and-only!' or 'Lord Ghirahim, take of your shirt so I can see your sexy—"

"Oh come off it," Ghirahim rolled his eyes. "I don't have time for such distractions."

"Distractions," I twitched my eyebrow. Ghirahim gave me that _you-better-shut-up_ kind of look.

"Sorry if I'm making you uncomfortable," I apologized, "But I'm just one of those people who say weird, awkward BS like that when they feel like it. You might as well know that now."

"Oh Joy," Ghirahim said dryly.

I patted his arm. "OK, I'll stop."

"Thank you."

"But still," I continued. "There's no one who fits the cut? No one? I mean, there's like a billion girls here who are infatuated with you. You have pretty good options. There's gotta be someone who you're willing to give a chance."

"Maybe," Ghirahim said, smiling a little.

"Oh, there's someone!" I exclaimed. "Tell me. _Tell me. _TELL ME."

"Quiet now," Ghirahim said sharply. "And I'm not sure who yet. I've got options, as you say."

"Ugh. You're no fun." I pouted. I laid dramatically across the foot of his bed. "Let me guess: you're like, 'Oh I'm Lord Ghirahim and I'm so _fine! _I have way too many girls, but I'm much too good for any of them. I much rather die alone than give any _peasant _the time of day. No one is grand enough to get with _this'._" I moaned, throwing a hand over my eyes.

"Hey!" Ghirahim said, though it sounded as if he were stifling a laugh. He kicked me playfully with his foot, and I fell, laughing, to the floor with a thud and an 'Oof!'

I got up and stole his pillow. I swung the fluffy weapon, repeatedly hitting him in the shoulder, and he laughed so hard that he winced.

"Quick question?" I sat back on the bed and handed him his pillow.

"Yes?" Ghirahim stretched wearily.

"So, what would you say if I told you I haven't been making my servants do a lot lately?" I asked. "Except Brooke, of course. She's quite the hard working one. In fact, if you want, I could put in a good word, and you guys could, you know, _hook up_."

Ghirahim blinked. "You haven't ordered her to do anything, have you? I'm guessing you two just sit and chat idly?"

"Well, not always..." I mumbled.

Ghirahim held up a hand. "I know. That's why I assigned her to you."

"What?"

Ghirahim sat up a little straighter. "I know—you're stubbornly independent. I can tell. I never actually expected her to do chores for you."

"Then why...?"

"I had a feeling you'd prefer another female to talk to. So I assigned her to you. I trust she is serving her purpose well?"

For a moment, I just stared at him. So...he assigned her to me just so I could talk to another girl, instead of always hanging out with guys? I didn't realize how much I missed my conversations with Zelda and Karane, but somehow...he knew.

_ Sweet and considerate indeed._

"I...er...don't know what to say," I admitted. "Thank you."

Ghirahim shrugged. "You look after me—I'll look after you."

I grinned a little. Then I blushed at his word choice.

"You...You were awake when I said that?"

"Of course I was, _my friend._"

I felt my cheeks burn. "Look, I was just worried about you. So I got really cheesy and—"

I was cut off as Ghirahim leaned towards me. Before I knew what was happening, he had pulled me into a tight hug.

"Oh...and now you're hugging me." I continued in surprise.

"Thank you." He said. "I know what you did for me. And for that, I am grateful."

"Er..." I swallowed. "I just held a pack of ice to your chest. It wasn't exactly rocket science."

"It's not that." Ghirahim said in my ear. "It's been so long since I could..._trust_ anyone—even a little. But after yesterday, when you were so considerate of my health, I realized you might actually care about me. That means a lot. And I hope I don't regret saying this later, but...I trust you. Just a little."

"Oh Ghir..." I returned the hug, smiling into his shoulder. "Of course I care about you, you knucklehead. Just a little."

I rested my chin on his warm shoulder. "Does this hurt?"

"Oh yes. Terribly."

I hugged him a little tighter. When I opened my eyes, I looked out the small window on the door. I stiffened in surprise. Malice was looking in. He met my gaze before turning and walking away.

"What the..."

"What?" Ghirahim asked.

"Nothing," I said, pulling away. I flicked his arm. "I've gotta go. Try not to get yourself killed."

"I'll do my best." He said, wincing as he laid back down.

And with that, I turned and ran out of the room.

* * *

"Al!"

The demon refused to turn.

"_Malice!_"

I ran towards him, catching him by the wrist. He tried to shake me off, but it was a futile attempt. My grip was iron.

"Let go."

"No," I tightened my grip. "What is up with you?"

"Nothing. I'm perfectly fine."

"Malice, I'm not kidding. What's going on?"

"What's going on," he began calmly, this time succeeding in briskly yanking away his arm. "Is that you are fraternizing with the tyrant who's been torturing us."

"He's not...I mean...I wasn't..."

Malice held up his hand. "No. There's no need. I'm not mad. Just disappointed, I suppose."

"Come on Al, he's not like that. Yeah, Ghirahim is a jerk sometimes. But he's misunderstood."

"Misunderstood?" Malice sniffed. "Well, be that as it may, here's what I understand: He orders me around like _trash_. He's forcing my little sister, the only family I have left, to live with bokoblins. She's living with _monsters, _dammit! My little sister! And my parents are _dead. _The Rebels, the group against Ghirahim, slaughtered them as examples! Ocean, they slaughtered my mother and father like animals! And do you know what Ghirahim is doing about it? Nothing. _Nothing, _damn him!"

My throat tightened. I hated conflict. "Look, Al, I get it. But he has other problems to deal with, you know."

"Oh yes, _I know_." Malice snarled. "He's looking for that girl so he can sacrifice her soul. I mean, how selfish is he? He's willing to sacrifice your friend to resurrect his master. Does he care about his master? No, I don't think so. He's only doing it because when Demise comes back, he'll be in good favor. There will still be a pyramid of powers. I'll still be in the useless bottom. And guess who will be up at the top with Demise? Ghirahim! What about Violet? What will happen to her? And you? What will happen to you? You can't honestly think he'll keep you around, do you? We'll be screwed, all of us."

"Al, calm down!" I rested my hand on his shoulder.

Malice shrugged me off. "But guess what! The joke is on him, because the Rebels are only getting stronger. Everyone knows it. And yet he ignores this obvious fact. But ignoring them won't make them go away. They'll just grow in the darkness, until they're ready to strike. And you know what, Ocean?" his voice dropped to a hiss. "I hope they find him. I hope they kill him. And I hope that he suffers, that he's alone. I—"

I slapped Malice across the face. _Hard._ Then I did it again. Malice blinked in surprise, his orange-tinted skin flushed red where I slapped him.

"Enough," I said firmly. "Al, you need to calm down. _No one _deserves to die like that. No one. Not Ghirahim, not you, not me. Okay, maybe Demise, but that's because he _does _deserve it. You know Demise was the one who attacked Ghirahim? That's why he looked so terrible. And yet you have the audacity to wish more pain and suffering upon him? That's despicable Malice. That was malicious."

Malice was quiet for a moment. Then the tears came streaming down his face. "Oh, Ocean, I'm sorry. I can't believe I..." He sobbed, almost looking scared.

The anger that had subtly been building inside me immediately subsided.

I pulled Malice into a tight hug. I think I startled us both. I wasn't much of a hugger normally. And now I've hugged two people in a half hour. But then again, I don't usually yell or slap people either, so I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised.

Malice placed his hands on my back and rested his head on my shoulder.

"Thanks," he muttered.

I slowly pulled away.

"You okay?"

"Yeah," he answered.

I backed up. "I'm sorry if getting along with Ghirahim bothers you, but I don't like having enemies. And I promise it won't change our friendship. You'll always be my favorite _short_ demon."

"Thanks," he breathed. "Wait...short? Hey! You're shorter than me!"

I put my hands on my hips. "I'm not short—I'm Napoleon-sized!"

Malice tilted his head. "I don't know what that means, but okay..."

"Never mind. Anyway, now that we've got that established, what do you say we have a little fun?"

Malice raised an eyebrow. "I don't really feel like doing anything right now," he confessed.

"Oh, come on." I yanked on his arm. "Ghirahim won't care what we do or where we go. Besides, it's not like he could stop us. He's still in a lot of pain, you know."

Malice hesitated, so I slid my grip down to his hand. "Come on. We can go wherever you want. Just name what you want to do."

Malice thought for a moment. "You know where the stables are, right?"

I nodded. "Of course."

Malice grinned. "I want to visit an old friend."

* * *

**I'll admit, I had fun writing this chapter. So good if you liked it, sorry if you hated it. Anyway, questions, comments? Review please! I got around ten last chapter alone! Thank you so much! I liked listening to your views on Malice. A lot of you are getting whats kinda starting to happen.**

** And thanks to all who followed/faved my story or me. Your support makes the hours I spend writing this completely worth it! Besides, I love writing. I'd highly suggest it to those of you who haven't tried your hand at it! **

**Anyway, just to put this out there, you know how I wished you good luck on St. Patrick's Day? I think I jinxed it, at least for me. I had no good luck. Quite the opposite, actually. But if you care, life has still been treating me well, and I hope it is for you too.**

**~Catwhiskers24~**


	36. Chapter 34: The Unstables

**I'm so sorry this took so long, but you know. Life. On the bright side, this chapter is a little longer than usual, I think. Also, this next week won't be as busy, so I'll probably update again in the near future.**

**So, I've been getting a lot of reviews, and that is AWESOME. One thing I noticed was some of the recent reviews had questions or some constructive criticism. Thank you so much, because I really appreciate the help, and I'll try to clear some stuff up.**

**First, I very recently got a guest review from Aerois (Thanks for following, btw), and they made a good point. In the chapter when Ghirahim nearly drowns, she allegedly goes underwater with an expensive smartphone. Last chapter, I mentioned something about the phone and its case, but I wasn't very clear. See, a klutz like Marissa is gonna drop her phone a lot. So, when she said she had a tough case, she meant like, a REALLY tough case. I don't know if you guys have heard of it, but there's a brand of case called Lifeproof. It's pretty tough and it's waterproof (It's true, I know people who have taken it into a pool and it was fine), so just to let you know, that's pretty much the type of case she has. This will be important later on, since as expected, that's not going to be the last thing that happens to her phone.**

**Next, I noticed some of you were commenting that Ghira was getting a little _too _nice. This is true. The last two chapters he was pretty nice. But don't worry, there's a storm coming...(a small storm, but still a storm)...And it starts this very chapter. Funny coincidence, huh?**

**And lastly, DO NOT WORRY. There will NOT be a Malice-Ghirahim-Marissa love triangle. Rest easy, I think they're overused too. I also think it would be a little lame to make my OC be really sought after. She's not extremely pretty or anything. But you guys are definitely picking up on my foreshadowing. Malice is nicknamed Al for a reason...a lot of you will probably figure it out later. Or maybe I'm just being really lame and nerdy. Whatever.**

**Anyway, I'll shut up and let you read.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own LOZ. Just my OC's and alternate plot. **

* * *

**Marissa's POV**

"Hurry up!" Malice called, racing down the slope.

"I'm coming!" I called back. "Sheesh, Al. Can't a girl get a moment of peace in this place?"

"Sorry." The demon waited for me to catch up. "I just want to reach the stables before the stable boy does."

"Why?"

"You'll see," he said with a grin.

"Well that _completely_ answers my question." I muttered. I guess ambiguity was as native a tongue for demons as much as sarcasm was for me.

When we finally reached the stables, Malice stopped just inside the worn wooden doors. He reached inside a cleft in the wall, where a variety of different equipment was kept on a small shelf. He removed several objects before turning back to me.

"Here. You'll want these." The demon handed me an old brush and a large carrot. He kept one of the vegetables for himself, removed a bucket from the shelf, and then slid a wooden panel over the cleft in the wall.

"What..." I trailed off as Malice led me past several stables. My eyes rested on Ghirahim's horse, Obsidian for a long moment as I passed his pen. The horse eyed me with a calculating look, and I was forced to glance away.

Malice came to a stop by the right pen at the back of the room. He was staring inside.

"A few years ago," he began, "One of the stable boys died in an accident with one of the horses. Ghirahim subbed me in for him while he tried to find a replacement. I wasn't sure what to think about my situation." Malice reached for the lock. "That is, until I met this guy."

Malice opened the pen, and I blinked slowly. Being at the end of the barn, the lighting wasn't as good in this stall. But I could easily tell what was inside.

A young stallion, not yet full grown, laid on the straw inside. When its dark eyes spotted Malice, however, it immediately got to its feet.

"When I first met Oaty, he was just a colt. His mother died from hypothermia, and his father was killed in a battle years before. The poor thing was starving. Then, I came here, and I nursed him back to health. It was just the two of us." The horse nuzzled Malice's hand as he drew it over the creature's long face.

"He was a tiny orphan." Malice was quiet for a moment. "Like me," he added.

I stepped forward cautiously, and the horse's head jerked up. He cautiously stepped forward, and then he bent his neck towards my hand.

"The carrot. He wants the carrot." Malice spoke up.

"Oh. Of course." I held out the vegetable, and with slight hesitation, the horse sniffed it. Then, in the blink of an eye, it snapped the carrot out of my hand and wolfed it down.

"Ha, he likes me!" I laughed, scratching the horse behind the ear.

"Carrots are Oaty's favorite treat," Malice smiled. Then he held up the bucket. "But his favorite food by far is—"

"Oats?" I guessed.

"How'd you guess?" Malice laughed. He nodded. "Yes, he loves oats. Hence the name."

"Oaty. I like it." I smiled and rested my hand on the horse's nose. "And I like him."

Malice smiled. "I thought you would. But that's not his full name."

"Then what _is_ his full name?" I asked.

Malice set the bucket on the ground, and the horse hungrily tore through his namesake.

"The other groomers thought it'd be best to euthanize him. They didn't they he'd grow. But I refused. Every day I used to bring him twice as many oats as the other horses. But he wasn't intimidated by the extra chow. He finished just as fast as the other horses." Malice nodded to the empty bucket of horse feed. "He's always eaten lightning-fast like that."

I grinned. "He almost eats as fast as my cat."

Malice furrowed his brow. "Your what?"

_Oops. _

"Nevermind." I quickly changed the subject. "So, you still haven't told me. What's his full name?"

"Well," Malice scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. "I never exactly decided. I thought about Oatmuncher, or Oatchow, or maybe Oatmeal. But none of them sounded right. And then Ghirahim found a permanent stable-hand who could replace me. Now I have to sneak in when I want to visit him. I never did decide on the perfect name."

"It's quite the quandary, isn't it?" I teased.

Malice shrugged. "Yes, I guess it is."

My smile grew. "Lucky for you, I have a name for him. See, my dad designed a small imaginary horse-racing game when he was a kid. He always used to tell my brother and I about the crazy names he gave the pretend horses. And one of them couldn't be more perfect."

"What was it?"

I glanced down at the empty bucket of horse feed. "He really chowed through those oats. In fact, you could say he _burned _through them."

Malice's head snapped around to face me. "So...you think his name should be..."

"_Oatburner_," We said at the same time.

Malice shrugged. "It's a bit strange, but I guess it could work." He patted the horse's head. "How about that, Oaty? Do you wanna be Oatburner?"

The horse neighed in agreement.

"It has been decided. From now on, this mighty steed will be known as the glorious _Oatburner,_" I said in a snooty voice.

"I _concur_." Malice agreed, mimicking my voice.

The horse nickered, as if agreeing with us. Malice and I glanced at each other before laughing louder than we had in a while.

After a moment, Malice took a deep breath to stop laughing. "Anyway," he straightened up. "Have you ever groomed a horse?"

"Well," I glanced at the brush. "No. Why?"

Malice took the brush from me with a smile. "Why don't you try on Oaty? It'll be fun, and he'll love you forever."

"But I don't know how..." I trailed off, taking the brush. I stood near the horse uncertainly. I noticed that it was barely two-thirds the size of Obsidian.

"That's okay," Malice came up behind me. "I'll show you."

* * *

**Ghirahim's POV**

I healed fast. I always had, ever since I was a boy. How else would I have survived living with Demise?

After Herb begrudgingly released me from the hospital wing, I went straight to the girl's room. I needed to continue training her. We'd already lost so much time from my pathetic injuries. We didn't have long until the Spirit Maiden would find the next temple and continue with her journey. In the meantime, I had to do some research in the old, dusty works of my library to figure out just where she was going. Then, I had to decide whether or not the girl was ready to fight at my side once again. I just didn't know if I'd won enough loyalty from her that she was willing to betray her friends. I didn't want a repeat of last time—that was for sure.

"Sky Child?" I knocked on her door.

No answer.

"Sky Child?" I tried again. "Are you ready to train?"

Still, I heard nothing from inside. That was odd.

I knocked on the door once more. "Where are you, My Little Remlit?"

My throat grew tight. "Ocean?"

After several more failed attempts, I decided to break in. With a snap of my fingers, her lock popped open.

I pushed open the door and rushed inside. No one was there.

My heart raced. Did she escape? No. She wouldn't. She cared about me—she told me herself.

Unless she lied.

I froze at this thought. It couldn't be true...

Could it?

I clenched my fists as I felt a wave of panic fill my mind. She couldn't just leave. I refused to believe it. There was no possibly way she'd leave me. I thought...

_ You were wrong_. I tried to ignore the voice in the back of my head, but I knew it was probably true.

I mean, was it _that_ impossible that my hopes were clouding my judgment and reason? After all, maybe she seemed a little _too _easy going. Maybe she was just taking advantage of me, just so she could escape. All the freedom I'd given her had been solely rooted from my faith that she wouldn't try and escape.

And here I was, standing in her empty room.

I'd been played.

I sat on the foot of her bed and bowed my head.

_Of course the girl left. Who would stay with you, you monster? _The voice jeered.

_ **But she doesn't think I'm a monster... **_I argued.

_Is that so? Then why does she stare at you in fear every time she looks at you? You repulse her. She just wants the hero._

_**That's not true. Quiet, I command you.**_

_You command me? You fool. No, I command _you. _I'll keep you safe, remember? Did I not tell you that I was the only one who could help you? Did I not tell you I'm the only one who _will _help you? You will find power by listening to _me _alone. You do not need the girl. What has she ever done for you?_

_ **She saved my life.**_

_True. But only because the Goddess commanded her to do so. You know the prophecy. She said it aloud while unconscious._

My thoughts darted back to that moment. When the girl had been poisoned, she had acted strange. Most of them had been fairly bizarre. But right before the healer had given her the antidote, she had recited the lines of some...some prophecy. Or at least that's what I thought it was. I could still remember that line clearly.

_The azure ocean is to the red sword..._

_ **How do we know that was a prophecy? And if it was, how do we know that she's heard it in the first place? She could be just subconsciously aware of it.**_

_Possibly, _The voice admitted. _But not likely. Why else would she abandon you, after all you've done for her?_

_ **I have done a lot for her...** _I acknowledged.

_Exactly_._ And how does she repay you?_

_ **By abandoning me. **_ I thought bitterly. I gave her food, I gave her a fanciful place to stay, I saved her from bokoblins, and I even told her that I trusted her. And how does she repay me? She _abandons _me.

A surge of fresh anger washed away the fear and panic. I never should've trusted her. This is what happens when I try to get close to someone.

My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of footsteps. The girl's maid walked into the room. She stopped abruptly when she saw me.

"L-Lord Ghirahim!" She exclaimed. Her face grew bright red, and she hastily curtsied. "What are you doing here, My Lord?"

"Where is the girl?" I demanded, ignoring her question.

"Mar—excuse me,—Ocean?"

"Who do you think? Of course her!" I snapped. The maid flinched.

"I-I saw her and another servant leave the manor. Malice, I believe it was."

"Of course!" I leapt to my feet with a scowl. "Of course he'd be with her!"

The maid's eyes widened. "My Lord! There is no need to be upset."

I saw red, and I lunged towards her. "What do you mean, 'no need to be upset?' My only friend ran away with a mere servant! You do not tell me when to be upset or not. Is that clear?"

"Y-Y-Yes," She stuttered, terrified. "Only, I insist, you mustn't worry."

"And why is that?"

She gestured towards the large circular window. "Because I can see them returning right now."

I whipped around. Sure enough, through the window, I could clearly see the two acquaintances trudging up the hill towards the main entrance of the manor.

_How could she just leave without telling you? That shows little to no concern for your well-being. Doesn't she know how stressed you are already?_

A fresh wave of bitterness built inside me as I realized the voice had a point.

_**That's true. What now?**_

The voice answered in one word:

_Revenge._

"Do...Do you want me to retrieve her when she arrives?" The maid offered cautiously.

"No. I will deal with her myself."

"Understood," she squeaked. "W-Will that be all?"

I hesitated. "The other servant—Malice—he has a younger sibling, yes?"

"Yes, I believe so. A sister."

I narrowed my eyes at the approaching duo. "Fetch her."

* * *

**Marissa's POV**

Malice and I entered the manor individually, so as not to attract much attention. Though I doubted we were missed. I mean, Ghirahim was probably still bedridden, so he probably didn't even know we'd left. Either that, or he was waiting in the living room like Mrs. Weasly in the second _Harry Potter, _and he'd be like 'WHERE. HAVE. YOU. _BEEN?' _when I walk in. Both situations seemed okay to me. I didn't actually think he would be mad.

Man, was I wrong.

When I walked in, Leal intercepted me.

"Miss, will you come with me?"

"Um..." I shrugged. "Sure. Why not?"

Leal led the way down a series of hallways. I recognized most of them, but I was still unsure of where we were going.

"What's this about?"

Leal hesitated. "I really can't tell you."

"Oh come on..." I gave him my best smile. I've been told that it's hard to say no to me with that face. I guess because I look too sweet and innocent. Ha. Right.

"Come on. Just give me a hint," I begged.

"Well..." Leal sighed. "I really shouldn't tell you this, but Lord Ghirahim isn't happy that you left without informing him. No, not happy at all, I'm afraid."

"Oh." I stared at my feet. "Sorry."

Leal laughed nervously. "It is not I who you should apologize to."

I bit my lip. "What's going to happen to me?"

Leal shook his head. "I don't know. Lord Ghirahim can be a bit...unpredictable."

I nodded numbly.

We soon approached two large black doors. I recognized this as the entrance to the courtroom.

Leal opened the door and ushered me in. As expected, Ghirahim was waiting for me. And he was _not _happy. That's for sure.

I slowly approached the middle of the room. I turned to face the demon lord, who was tapping the tips of his fingers against the arms of his throne.

"What were you thinking?" He demanded as I stepped in front of him. He was physically trembling with rage. "Do you know how I felt when I discovered that you were gone? I..."

"Oh..." I grinned. "Was da wittle demonses wouied about me? Aww..."

Ghirahim's eye twitched and he glared at me with such intensity that I began to feel uncomfortable.

"This is no laughing matter, Sky Child," he hissed. "I am furious with you. I am _disgusted _with your behavior. Don't you remember the last time you wandered off with that brainless bag of dirt? You would've died if it hadn't been for me. And with the Rebels prowling about, you are damn lucky that you weren't spotted. Do you know what they would give to get their hands on someone like you? You're associated with me, Sky Child. And they'll do whatever they can to harm me. They would've taken great pleasure in cutting you down. Do you really want to be collateral damage?"

"_Collateral damage?" _A new voice scoffed. My head whipped around to see Malice. The demon was struggling against several armored bokoblins, his arms and legs bound. "What do you know about _collateral damage?_ Because, _Lord Ghirahim_, I guarantee, it's nowhere near as much as this 'brainless bag of dirt' does. And if you really are concerned about the Rebels, then why don't you _do _something about it?"

"Quiet, trash." Ghirahim snarled. "This is not about the Rebels. This is about you poisoning this girl's mind with your flawed ways. Shut your mouth before my guards do it for you."

Malice reluctantly quieted down, but the fire never left his eyes.

"Now," Ghirahim continued. "We must discuss your punishment."

"Look, Ghirahim." I stepped a little closer. "I get that you're mad. You have every right to be. And I'm sorry." I glanced at Malice. "We both are. But we don't have to blow this out of proportion. I mean, no harm done, right?"

"No harm done, you say?" Ghirahim said quietly. He slowly stood up and walked towards me. He straightened to his full height, and glared down at me. When he was standing normally, the top of my head barely reached his shoulder. Ghirahim towered over me.

"No harm..." He laughed humorlessly. "You realize, every minute I spend worrying about you, is another minute for the Spirit Maiden to get ahead. I _have _to find her. You know this. And every time you distract me, I am distracted from a more important mission: resurrecting my Master. I've been forgiving thus far, despite all that you've cost me."

"All that I've cost you?" I stared at him. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"You know damn well. You know damn well what's happened because of you. You stood in my way in a prime opportunity to achieve the goal I've sweated and bled for. And then my Master punished me for it. It's your fault, Ocean."

"My fault!" I stared directly into his eyes. "You mean to say, your injuries, the one I _helped _you with...the ones _your master _gave you...they're one me?"

"Precisely," he confirmed, his voice an icy calm.

"That's not true! It's your fault for serving an evil master! I mean, why even bother helping him? You think you'll end up on top? You're wrong, Ghirahim. And I can tell you that for a fact. You are his sword, nothing more."

"Is that so?" Ghirahim scoffed. "What do you know? You are a mere child."

"I know more than you think," I insisted. "And I know he'd sooner cast you aside than be patient with you. You have to get away from him while you have a chance."

Something came over me, and I took his hands. "Please, Ghirahim. Nothing good will come from this. Trust me." I tightened my grip. "Please, just trust me like you said you do."

"I did trust you." I murmured. "But now I know better."

He wrenched his arms from my grip and shoved me to the ground. Pain shot up my wrist and I cried out.

"Ocean!" Malice exclaimed. He fought harder against the guards.

"Quiet Servant. That's enough out of you." Ghirahim said calmly. With a snap, he covered Malice's mouth with a red, diamond covered shield.

"Now, to continue with your shared punishment." He turned towards Leal. "Bring her out."

Leal nodded. The servant exited out a small side-door near the throne. When he reappeared, he had someone else with her. When my eyes met her striking purple ones, my heart seemed to drop to my toes.

"Violet?" I whispered.

Malice began to scream against his makeshift gag as Leal handed her off to Ghirahim.

"Let me go!" She shrieked. She looked to her brother. "Al! Help me!"

"Shh. I won't hurt you, darling. Or, at least, I _probably_ won't." Ghirahim said soothingly. With another snap, he summoned a glowing black dagger and held it to her throat. I gasped, Malice shouted even louder, and even Leal flinched.

"My Lord..." Ghirahim silenced him with a glare.

Malice struggled against the guards stronger than ever, and one of them smacked him in the head with its shield. Malice stopped for a moment, dazed.

"Don't hurt her." I begged. Ghirahim looked at me, his gaze cold and more crazed than ever. I'd really underestimated him and his evil, sadistic nature. As much as I liked to think I'd crushed that part of him, it was still there, and it was stronger than ever.

"That depends..." he drawled. "Whether or not you decide to cooperate."

I sat up slowly, wincing as I got to my feet. I clutched my wrist, which was twisted and throbbing with pain.

"What do you want from me?" I conceded, defeated. I'd gotten Malice into this. I had to get the two siblings out alive. After all, they were the best friends I had here.

"Just promise me one thing," Ghirahim purred. I watched as a small tear trickled down Violet's small face.

"What?" I stared unblinking at the two. My heart was hurting my chest it was beating so loud.

"Promise me your undying loyalty." he stated simply.

"That's ridiculous. You have to _earn_ my loyalty." I retorted.

Ghirahim pressed the blade tighter against Violet's skin, and she let out a whimper.

"It's gonna be okay, Vi." I assured her, not wanting the girl to cut herself with her fidgeting. "Just calm down and stay still for me, okay?"

Violet blinked at me.

I locked eyes with Ghirahim. "I promise my loyalty to you, Ghirahim. But that's it. You. Not Demise. You. I will be loyal until...until death do we part, I guess." My cheeks burned. "Wait no, that sounds like we're getting married."

Ghirahim smiled a little in amusement. "How about... until your final breath?"

I hesitated a moment. "Okay." I sighed. I mean, I kind of had to be loyal to Ghirahim to protect him, right? This wasn't much different than promising Hylia I would protect him. "I promise my loyalty until my final breath." I stared at the ground for a moment. Then I lifted my gaze. "Now let her go." I commanded.

"One more thing." Ghirahim pressed. "Promise me you'll stay away from _him_ from now on."

I whipped around, following his gaze. With horror, I realized he was talking about his hostage's older brother.

"You mean Malice? No! I refuse."

"Then I will kill her." Ghirahim said with a shrug.

"You..." my lip quivered. "You can't do that! I thought we were friends!"

"Then you are as big a fool as I was. Now promise me, or the child gets it."

"No..." I drew a hand over my face. "This is a free country! I know my rights!"

Don't go judging me. That's the only argument I could think of. I _may_ have forgotten that I wasn't in the middle of an American soap opera. It took me a moment to remember I was in the demon realm. The _demon _realm.

Ghirahim laughed once again, and the noise seemed to frighten Violet even more.

"What country, girl? What rights? You are in the land of my master. His rules are mine. And according to his rules, he has absolute control. Being stand-in leader, the same goes for me. There are no rights. There is only control."

The pain in my wrist and all my conflicting emotions were beginning to make me feel sick. I wanted to cry. But I wouldn't give him that satisfaction.

_I'm not scared. I'm not going to cry. I'm not going to cry. I'm not going to cry._

I stared up at him defiantly, fighting the tightness in my throat. "Your control, huh? You truly are a _demon _lord. No wonder the Rebels are after you. No wonder they want you dead." I stalked towards him. "You are exactly like your master. You are cruel, heartless, soulless, and despicable, you _monster_. This is why you have no one. No wonder no one loves you. People like you die alone."

I glanced around the courtroom. "See these guys? They're my friends. Two peasants, with not a penny to their name, are better friends then you will ever be. And that's why..." I stopped inches from his throne. "That's why I promise." You could have heard a pin drop.

I took a deep breath. "I promise I'll stay away from them. Because they don't deserve to be burdened with me."

I backed up and looked around. It was almost fun, surveying the shocked looks on every face in the courtroom.

I stepped towards Malice and planted a kiss on his cheek. "See you, Al."

Then I stormed out of the courtroom, with my head held high.

* * *

**Things are getting real...**

**So yeah. A storm's coming.**

**Anyway, if anything was confusing, it should probably make sense later. And if the part where Ghirahim is arguing with himself like Gollum was confusing or strange, don't worry. That will be explained later. Though maybe some of you guessed it. I don't know.**

**Moving on, as always, you readers are amazing geniuses and I love and appreciate you all. I'm just watching my reviews going up and doing a happy dance that I can actually write, and that you guys actually like it. Sort of, I guess. Who knew?**

**I would be happy to answer any more questions or address any concerns. So go ahead and review or PM me. And, really, if you have any comment/question, I'd be happy for another review, no matter how short. They always make my day. Thanks to everyone who faved/followed. Keep it up.**

**Finally, at the end of an annoyingly long A/N (that is, if you are still reading) I was just randomly wondering how old you think I am. I just thought that may tell me a little about my writing style. If you want to take a guess at the end of your review, that'd be cool. Whatever works for you. But as always, thanks for reading, and see you later.**

**~Catwhiskers24~**


	37. Chapter 35: A Shield For the Sword

**Here we go, two chapters in one week. Yes. Anyway, I'm afraid I have some bad news.**

**This is the last chapter of A Different Path.**

**It's just, I feel like this is a good place to stop, you know? Everything is solved, there's a happy ending for everyone, everything is wrapped up in a nice little bow. Okay, maybe not. Maybe I'm just getting tired of this. Updating is so much WORK. And I'm struggling with writers block and laziness. I think it's just best to pull the plug. I...I...I'm getting emotional. And also...**

**APRIL FOOLS HAHAHA**

**You didn't think I'd forget? Sure it's past midnight, but who cares? Did I get you? Or did you cheat in read ahead? Or do you just not care?**

**Anyway, now that I've had my fun, don't worry. I know exactly what I'm doing and writers block hasn't been much of a problem. I love writing this story, and I hope you love reading it. I have a plan for this story, too. I know exactly where it's going and I already wrote several of the ending scenes. It's happy, don't worry. Even if at first it doesn't seem that way... And if you are liking this story, don't worry. There's a lot more left. We aren't even close to done. We're just getting started.**

**To continue my huge A/N, I just wanted to thank everyone for the reviews, as always. I'm glad you liked seeing Ghira back to normal. And guesses at my age...I don't know what to say. I'm overall pleased. **

**Lastly, I should apologize for a lack of action in this chapter. But it's mainly supposed to explain some things, so here goes:**

**Disclaimer: I do not own LOZ.**

* * *

**Marissa's POV**

The roof was a nice place for a lot of things. It was a great location to meet with your friends—make that, one of your _best _friends—unless, of course, you were forbidden to talk to him. Then the roof was lonely.

It was also a pretty good place to simmer off after telling a jerk that they deserve to die alone, after they almost kill your good friend's little sister. And then, kiss said good friend on the cheek to spite the jerk. I'd never done anything like that. I'd never kissed someone not related to me, even on the cheek. Come to think about it, I think Ghirahim was the first unrelated boy that I'd _hugged_ since elementary school. So yeah, physical contact was _definitely _not my thing. And yet, I'd casually hugged the two several times in the past week.

What the hell was happening to me?

When I was Marissa, in my old world, I was that shy, reserved wallflower who hated crowds. I liked my time alone, and I preferred animals to people. While I still loved animals, and I still was shy at times, Ocean was much more confident than Marissa had ever been. Ocean was like a different person. She was witty, assertive, loudmouthed, and could be pretty bad-ass when she had to be.

Marissa never would've dreamed of saying half the things that Ocean has. I never would've dared to kick anyone, and yet I had hit Ghirahim right where it hurts. The Marissa I had been before coming here wouldn't have even been able to use half the words people refer to said place, besides genitals, maybe, or groin. And yet, as Ocean, I said whatever came to mind. Whether it was a swear word or vulgar slang, I didn't care.

The fact was, my alter ego was much different than I ever thought I'd be. It was like in this world, I was Ocean, a super-hero with magical powers, and Marissa was my secret identity.

It was a strange situation. It was like I was being turned into an entirely different person. And I wasn't quite sure how I felt about that. I didn't mind being timid, but it seemed the more popular kids were always the more bold ones. And now I was one of them. I acted on impulse, instead of thinking things over, until my chance was gone.

I mean, it was like just being with Ghirahim was boosting my confidence. Here I was, defying my 'master', after a fiery argument. I wasn't fiery! I was like an _ocean, _for heaven's sake. What would my parents think of me now? Would they be proud that I was growing out of my shell? Or would they be disappointed that I acted so often without thinking about the consequences?

Who am I kidding? I mean, of course they'd be proud of me, but that shouldn't be a concern of mine. I should be concerned about getting back to them. They were probably worried sick by now. Or...not. Being someone who'd been pushed away by older siblings and cousins as a child, I always felt like I was overestimating my own value and importance. Some days I felt like I was a burden. And then others, specifically when I was around people like Allison and Malice, I felt like some people actually wanted me around. And then I would wonder if they just hung out with me because they pitied me. It was an awful sensation, always feeling like you need to re-earn your friendship with someone. But it was a feeling I couldn't shake.

I stared off the roof, caught up in my reflection. It was so easy for me to be lost in my thoughts and fears. I needed something to distract me before I went back to my mindset from fourth grade, when I felt isolated and utterly worthless. That's where my phone came in.

I turned it on, intending to listen to music. I then realized I forgot my ear buds inside.

I glanced at the rising half-moon. I wasn't quite ready to go back in. Up here, Ghirahim couldn't bother me. I could keep him out of my thoughts. Except...except just now. Dang it!

I shook any thoughts of him out of my mind. Yes, all thoughts of his sly smirk...his dark serious eyes...his perfect white hair...his clearly chiseled muscles...,STOP IT.

I then proceeded to shed my nervous energy by throwing around my phone. I concentrated all my effort on catching that device, just to toss it back in the air. Of course, it only took a few cycles of this pattern before I slipped up, and my phone clattered to the ground.

"Careful."

I jumped at the voice behind me. It couldn't be true.

"Zelda?" I turned around. The woman who stood in front of me was not Zelda, but an outline of the girl. The outline itself seemed to become more transparent the more I looked at her.

"Close; it's the Goddess—Hylia." She corrected.

"Oh," I sat down, too exhausted to react. "Zelda sleeping again, I presume?"

The goddess nodded.

"You don't have to be worried about my phone—it's pretty unbreakable."

"I wasn't talking about your 'phone', though you _should _be careful. You wouldn't want to wake Ghirahim. He's having a fitful time sleeping as it is," she warned, glancing down, as if looking into the room below us.

I rolled my eyes. "Poor baby."

Hylia was dead serious. "It's true. Your words got to him more than you think. He's already fragile enough as it is."

"_Fragile?_" I scoffed. "_Pfft. _Right."

"Mentally, yes." Hylia confirmed.

"Yeah, right."

"You don't believe me?" She raised a holographic eyebrow. "I thought I made it clear in the simulation. He doesn't seem at all bizarre near the end of the game?"

I thought for a moment. "Well, he pretty much goes off the deep end by the final battle with him. I mean, the first hint was when he started to show his sadistic side...And then he started to strip down in the second battle. That wasn't exactly normal." I laughed aloud. "Okay, I'll admit it: He basically goes insane by the end of the game. But I don't see why..." I blinked. "Oh."

"Your purpose, as I told you, was to shift his loyalties, but it's also to keep him safe. He's the leader here. No one can keep everyone happy. And if he turns against Demise, the official king of this realm, he's going to make enemies, I'm afraid. People will be hurt." She sat next to me. "You will be one of them. I will admit that to you now. But it is not you I'm worried about.

"You've already heard of the Rebels. They will be the main problem, and he will be their main target. Your job is to make sure he doesn't suffer from his choice. I could not bear it if my influence caused him to perish before his time. And that isn't for a while yet. But it will come sooner if we aren't careful. He is mortal, after all."

"Mortal? I thought you said he didn't age." I asked, confused.

Hylia nodded slowly. "This is true: He does not age. But that is due to a spell put on him by his master. No demon is immortal, save Demise himself. The fact that he is toying with Ghirahim's mortality...and the fact that he has made the boy his sword..." Hylia trailed off. "I created Fi to be an immortal sword spirit. That is why she seems in good health. Ghirahim, however, was born a normal demon. Demise's tampering with his life force like that..." Hylia sighed. "He will go through more pain than many will ever know. And it is up to you to be with him, every step of the way. For not only will the stress and attacks take a tole on his physical health, they will also come to haunt him. All his experiences, all his failures, and every time he's been hurt emotionally...they will all weigh heavy on his conscious. All this pain will slowly tear his sanity apart."

"So..." I stared at my shoes. "that means I not only have to keep him alive, but I also have to keep him sane? Call me crazy—no pun intended—but that seems kind of hard. I mean, have you met him? He has, like, half of the mental problems we learned about in health class. I mean, what all is he? Bipolar? Masochistic? He sure has a bad case of narcissism. And that's just the beginning."

"Yes, he does have challenging problems. Due to Demise's influence, he also has a condition you would call...'schizophrenia'".

I stiffened. "You mean, he's delusional? He hears voices in his head?"

"In a sense, yes, he does. You see, Demise communicates with him by directly speaking into his mind. This way, Ghirahim thinks the voice is a fraction of his own conscience. But that's not the case. In truth, it's Demise intruding on the privacy of his mind. I would never communicate with my...allies...in such a way. I prefer to speak with you through visions and dreams. It's much easier for the mortal mind to handle. Demise's communication is just contributing to his servant's crumbling sanity."

I was quiet for a moment. "So...can Demise read Ghirahim's mind?"

"No, thankfully not. When Ghirahim directs a thought at the voice, as if speaking with it, Demise can understand it. But Ghirahim's more personal, private thoughts are hidden from Demise's spell. Even I don't fully understand the process—it is very dark magic."

I nodded slowly. Then I looked at her. "So, you said this is a vision? Are there specific times when you can send them to me, or is it whenever you feel like it?"

Hylia laughed quietly. "No. While I am reincarnated in Zelda, her entire consciousness isn't my own. And my entire consciousness isn't hers either. Rather, they are intertwined. So, this means that if she's asleep, I can separate just long enough to conference with you. For you to receive the visions, however, you must be unconscious, or in a very deep sleep."

"But...I'm conscious..." I pointed out.

"Yes...but you aren't..." She thought for a moment. "You are, as they say, daydreaming. Your head is so far in the clouds that your mind can handle this vision without being snapped back to reality."

"Ugh, my brain hurts." I whined.

"Don't think about this too hard—visions aren't particularly good for the mind either," she warned, grimacing.

"What," I felt my lips twist into a wry smile. "is it going to give me brain cancer or something?"

Hylia shook her head, "No, nothing like that. I've never heard of that happening, anyway."

"Good." I smiled a little, feeling relieved. "Wait..if you're some pure, golden goddess, then how are you in the demon realm? I thought Demise shielded outsiders from entering this place, like how you you have a barrier around Skyloft?"

Hylia winced, and her image rippled. "Yes, it is challenging. But, since only a fraction of my being is visiting, I have a bit of time before the incantations realize my disturbance. Even so, our time is limited; we must make this brief. Now, as I was saying, Ghirahim has several mental...challenges.

And after all he's been through, I wouldn't be surprised if his past experiences haunted him like..." she stopped, as if thinking.

"PTSD? Post Traumatic Stress Disorder?"

"Precisely. She nodded. "Do you remember that seizure Ghirahim had earlier? That was a sudden vision with Demise. Only he could hear and see his master. This is similar to the circumstances in which we meet, except..." Hylia cleared her throat. "Demise enters his mind quite suddenly. It is painful and taxing for a mortal to communicate with a deity in such a way. That is why he seemed to be in excruciating pain. And that isn't the only vision he has. Ghirahim managed to push many of his traumatic memories to the back of his mind, but when one resurfaces, you must be prepared for an attack. They will be brief, but he may harm himself if he's alone. Some of his memories are of torture, and they are unbearable."

I wasn't sure what to say. This was all so sudden, and honestly, I felt a little awkward as Hylia was telling me all Ghirahim's secrets.

"So, when he does have a...a vision. What do I do?"

Hylia rested a hand on my shoulder. "Be there for him. You can help him through this. He's been alone most of his life. I understand you can empathize with his loneliness?"

I remembered the loneliness that came with being the most reserved girl in school during fourth grade. I'd had no friends. I thought of all the days I'd wandered, alone, around the playground while everyone else had fun with their cliques. And I was by myself.

What if that's how Ghirahim felt? What if he's felt like since Demise's imprisonment?

Suddenly, much of my empathy for the demon was restored. And if he had at all thought of me as a friend...

I shivered. I couldn't imagine what he would've felt like after what happened earlier, in the courtroom.

"Oh." I said in a small voice. "Wha...What do I do?"

Hylia's image flickered. "I don't know. I'm sorry. But this is up to you. Decide what you think is best. I don't blame you for being angry at him for what he did to your friends, but it isn't like you to hold a grudge. That's one of the reasons I picked you."

"I do like to forgive," I admitted. "But part of that is the way I was taught. I mean, I was raised a little Christian girl. So...technically, I shouldn't believe that I'm even talking to you. And in the demon realm no less! I should be disgusted. Ghirahim's a demon! And I'm supposed to, what, give him some TLC? Hold his hand like he's a little kid? What would my parents think?"

I found myself erupting into panic, all my concerns spilling out. Because, that was the whole blockade in this entire plan. I felt like if I was mean to Ghirahim and went against him, I'd disobey Hylia, and I'd go against my own morals. But then...being with a demon...wasn't that a sin? Like, a bad one? But then...showing him compassion and forgiveness and maybe even..._love..._isn't that a good thing? Isn't that how I'm supposed to be?

"Faith is complicated," Hylia admitted, her image growing dimmer. "Faith is where things get complicated. But...ask yourself this: What do you think? What do you believe in?"

"What do I _think_?" I noticed my voice was beginning to rise. "I think a freaking goddess showed up in my world just to blackmail me into giving up my life to protect a demon. I'm scared, okay? I mess everything up. This is why I don't sign up for stuff like this. I don't want someone's life on my hands—demon or not! And frankly, I'm kinda mad right now. This is way more than any fifteen year old girl should have to face. I mean, I'm just a kid—not a trained bodyguard slash psychiatrist! I was fine in my old home. Happy even. You can't just pick me up and drop me in this messed up world and tell me to help an enemy! You have no right! I mean what's next? Tell me to fall in love with Voldemort? Ask me to adopt Loki? I mean, really, this is just too much stress!" I took a few deep breaths, close to tears. Here's another thing Marissa wouldn't do: First, she wouldn't get so emotional. I mean what was this? Some Disney Movie?

And second, you'd never find Marissa yelling at a goddess. I mean, a freaking _goddess. _I'm uber-respectful around my elders—even _upperclassmen—_to the point that it could be weird. And here I was, telling a goddess that she had no right to assign me an important job. I always thought of myself as an expendable, humble pawn. I'd accepted it. And now, I was whining that this was _too hard_. I never would understand Ocean, even if she was me.

Hylia didn't seem offended, thankfully. She rested a ghostly hand on my shoulder, and warmth spread throughout my body. I realized this was clear proof that she was good, and that I should do what she tells me to. I should be honored to be part of her grand plan.

"Marissa, child, don't fret. You said that there are over seven billion people in your world. I chose _you _for this job. If I didn't think you could handle it, I would've picked someone else. But I thought you were the ideal person for the job. Not only is your memory and knowledge of the game stellar, but you are also more selfless than many. And that is a trait that a shield very greatly needs."

"A shield..." I echoed.

"Yes. While I would like you to lure him away from Demise, your primary goal always is to shield him from pain—emotional and physical. A shield for the sword."

I nodded. "I...I kind of like that."

I decided to change the subject. "You never told me I had magic powers. I mean, how powerful am I? What can I do?"

Hylia smiled a little. "Upon entering this world, I blessed you with the gift of magic. But in this world, magic is limited. Each user has their own skill. While they have several abilities, everyone has a specialty that is more natural than any other."

"What's mine?" I asked eagerly. "Fire? Some other element? Flying? Breathing underwater?"

Hylia's smile widened. "You'll find out."

"When?"

"All in good time. I will tell you, though, that this gift is tailored specifically to your needs. It is incredibly rare among magic users, and it will cost you much energy. Therefore, think of it as a...a last resort for if anything goes wrong."

"What do you mean?"

Hylia's image nearly disappeared this time. "I cannot divulge any more information on this particular topic. Our time is growing thin, it seems."

"But I have so many more questions! Like—"

"I'm afraid it will have to wait until next we meet," Hylia interrupted me gently. "But I must warn you: be careful who you trust. Some of your acquaintances can not be trusted. Every demon would like a powerful position like Ghirahim's. But there can be only one sword. I fear that Demise will take advantage of this. Be wary of anything suspicious—you never know what Demise has offered to his followers."

"I don't understand..."

Hylia's image had all but faded. "Be careful. Keep Ghirahim close. Only together can you face the pain ahead. It is your job to lead him down a different path. Remember, it will be hard. You can't trust anyone. Not even yourself. I sense betrayal in your future..."

Her voice became more distant. "Betrayal...pain...grief...death..."

And then she was gone.

I was alone on the roof once again.

* * *

**So, there you have it. Another meeting with Hylia. If I now made some secrets blatantly obvious, sorry. I'm sure many of you guys are starting to make sense of her ambiguous answers. **

**Sorry if Marissa's soliloquies are getting a little long, but I like to show her thought process. Given her situation, I thought you may be curious what's going through her mind. I thought this also tells you a bit about her past, so that's helpful.**

**And to be clear, I'm not trying to throw a pity party for Ghira. Hylia was just summing up Marissa's mission. And I'm just expressing the risk of insanity, because, really, if you've played the game, can you really argue that he doesn't completely lose it by the end? I mean, seriously. **

**As always review if you can, and favs/follows are greatly welcome. Please and Thank you. Ciao.**

**~Catwhiskers24~**


	38. Chapter 36:Do You Wanna Build A Friend

**Chapter 36: Do You Wanna Build A Friendship?**

**Me again! Here's another chapter! Enjoy! Oh, and sorry for the short length.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own LOZ, just my OC's and alternate Story line.**

* * *

**Marissa's POV**

I sat on the roof for a while, feeling numb. I couldn't shake what Hylia said about betrayal. And...and death. She said keep Ghirahim close. But how was I supposed to do that, now that he'd surely start pushing me away again? Besides, I still wasn't crazy about this whole plan.

Ghirahim was mentally unstable. I now knew that for sure. And yet, I was supposed to somehow stop him from slipping off the deep end. How was I supposed to do that, when I was probably contributing to his insanity?

The answer wasn't clear. But I wasn't keen on going back inside. You know that feeling you get after a big fight with a parent or sibling? It's somewhere between frustrated anger and guilt.

For me, when something like that happened, I sort of wanted to make up, but I also didn't want to show my face either. So my solution was to sit up here, just...waiting. I thought about things I could say. Things that would make this better, but wouldn't be completely saying I was wrong.

Because I wasn't. Not completely, anyway. There had been no reason for Ghirahim to scare poor Violet like that. He probably scarred the poor thing for life. And I also felt it was unnecessary for him to forbid me from seeing Malice. I mean, we were only gone for an hour or two. Seriously, what harm did it do?

Of course, when I'd used that excuse, he'd totally spazzed out. It still stung a little that he blamed his injuries on me. I was very prone to guilt. Now I was mad at him for making me feel guilty for protecting my friend. Because what choice did I have? There was no way I would've let him hurt Link and kidnap Zelda, but at the same time, he was right in that I had ruined the chance he'd been waiting so long for. And he'd been punished because of me.

Still, blaming me? When he _knew_ that I felt bad for him? You just don't do that to a person. It's uncalled for.

All the same, I was anxious to repair the partial friendship we'd shared. Neither of us could deny that it was there. Not even I, who a few months ago, wanted no involvement with him. I was even planning on hiding behind Link when we had to fight him. I'll admit it: I had been hoping Link would do the talking and I'd just be his shadow.

I thought a lot about what I could say. Because Hylia was right: it was important that he trusted me. Otherwise I wouldn't be able to keep him close, like she said.

But what could I say? What could I do? If I wanted him to trust me...

The answer was simple.

A plan began to form in my head. Gee, the roof really was an awesome place to think!

That is, until a crack of thunder broke into my thoughts. Raindrops left freezing trails on my face, and I jolted back to the present.

I watched in shock as a bolt of lightning struck a patch of ground near the manor. The impact filled the air with static, and I felt the electrons of the strike dance through my damp hair. A tingle shot up my spine.

"I'm in trouble."

I threw myself off the roof, my hands struggling to get a grip on the slick shingles. I managed to make my way to my windowsill, narrowly avoiding slipping and falling to my death.

When I finally hoisted my sodden body into my room, I collapsed onto my bed. I let out a relieved laugh at my nearly disastrous close call.

"A bit wet out there, is it?"

I whipped around, my heart pounding in my chest. Sitting in my desk chair with his legs crossed neatly, was the very demon I had just been thinking about.

"G-Ghirahim? What are you doing in here? This is _my _room." I stuttered, taken aback.

"Indeed it is. But I felt the need to pay you a little visit after—how curious, but—I thought I heard _your voice_. It sounded like you were speaking to someone on the roof. Who were you talking to, may I ask?"

"I..." my mouth dropped open. Likely, Hylia had only been visible to me, but _my _voice must have been very audible to everyone else below us.

"Well?" Ghirahim stood up, a weary look on his pale face. "It wasn't that other servant, I hope?"

"No...no. No, nope it wasn't. It was er...me! I was talking to myself. It actually helps me think, you know?"

"Hmph." Ghirahim didn't sound like he believed me. And why should he? I was lying to him all over again. I was starting to feel guilty about it. It was getting to be so easy to lie to him. But, once again, I had little choice. I couldn't tell him about Hylia. He'd never believe me, and even if he did, this would call forth a whole new set of questions. I just wanted to go to bed.

"It's true..." I muttered all the same. "I promise you it wasn't Malice. I don't even know where he is. Probably trying to comfort his sister, I suppose."

Anger took hold of me all over again. "You know, that was really unnecessary—what you did to Violet. Do you really want to terrify the poor girl? I mean, she's already an orphan. There's no need to cause her any more childhood trauma."

"Childhood trauma. Right." He laughed humorlessly. Of course, he'd have first-hand experience with such a thing.

He backed up. "Right, that's me. The abusive leader who causes his subjects _childhood trauma_. That's why, as you say, I 'have no one', yes? That's why I'm, in your opinion, 'going to die alone'. I suppose no one will care either, hmm?"

"Ghira..."

He ignored me and opened the door. Before leaving, he stopped. "Thanks for your honesty," he called over his shoulder.

I listened to the door close, and then laid down on my bed. I had to put my plan into motion. Right now.

* * *

**Ghirahim's POV**

I crossed the hall to my room, and then slammed my door closed. I clenched my fists and punched the wall. Immediately, pain spiked up my wrist. I cursed and drew a hand over my eyes.

"Why must everything I build immediately fall apart?" I asked the ceiling.

Of course, I received no answer.

What a situation. Just this morning, the girl had come to visit me in the infirmary. And we'd talked! Like normal people, even! She had sat on my hospital bed like I was an old friend.

Then...what happened in the courtroom. Thunder crashed once again outside.

I was never really planning on harming the child. At least, not likely, anyway. My mysterious friend needn't have reacted so harshly. Then again, she had crushed any foolish hope I had for her companionship, so at least there was that.

I sighed, feeling pressure behind my eyes. Exhausted, I leaned against my door. I let myself slide to the floor, leaning my head against the wood as I sat.

After a few moments, I heard a rustling noise on the other side of the door.

"Ghira?" It was the girl. "Ghirahim, I know you're in there. I just want to talk."

I didn't respond. There was silence. And then she spoke once again.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said those things. Back in the courtroom...I was mad okay?"

She was quiet for a while.

"The truth is, I was scared. I wasn't just scared for Violet, but I was also scared that after all of this...that...that they would be afraid of me. Malice is a great big brother. He is very protective of Vi. I was scared that he'd blame me for her life being in danger. I didn't want that. And I didn't want to promise to stay away from them because...well...I didn't want to be alone." Silence followed once again.

"I'm sure you know what it's like to be lonely, Ghirahim. I do too. It sucks. You feel like you're a waste of space. You feel like...like you have no place. Like there's something wrong with you.

Like nobody would care if you up and disappeared forever."

She took a deep breath before continuing.

"In fourth grade...I mean...in one of the early years of schooling in my old...island...I felt like that. My two best friends had to switch schools because a new one was built in our neighborhood. I was too shy to meet anyone new after that. I was that girl who tried to blend in with the woodwork in the back of the class. I was always the odd one out. The one who always did group projects solo. All because I was awkward and too afraid to talk to my classmates. I...I thought no one wanted me around. I always had more book-smarts than the average kid, but I wasn't very current when it came to celebrities...games...music. So I had nothing to talk about, anyway. And my classmates were fine with that.

"I wasn't sure what to do. I felt worthless. I felt like all I was good for was being that kid who could help with your homework, because while everyone else was having fun, I was slowly smothering myself in my work. I always told myself I didn't have time for fun anyway. I think that was about the time I lost a lot of sensitivity. Because if I had worked myself nearly to death for no reason...I think...I think I would've been okay with that."

There was a long break after that.

"I'm starting to think that's how you feel, Ghira. Like you're trying to distract yourself with your work. But you're lonely. I can tell. It takes a loner to know a loner."

Her voice grew louder. "But as soon as I found my first friend, I felt better. I became more light; more...happy. Everything started to look brighter. I started to feel like I was actually even a little..._normal._ I actually was happy waking up and going to school in the morning. Looking back on it...there's a chance that I could have been a little depressed back then. I don't want that to happen to you. I know what I said earlier, but now I'm telling you that you don't deserve to be alone. You deserve a happy ending."

I didn't respond. I just listened to her talk.

"So let me in. I want to make this right. I'm not saying you have to trust me...but I just want another chance. I _did _mean it when I promised my loyalty."

I didn't do anything at first. I just listened. I waited for her to say something. But she was quiet, too. I could hear her movement from outside the door. She was still there. And she was waiting as well. I wasn't sure what to think. It was a humble apology, and I was surprised that she'd open up to me like this, telling me about such a sore spot in her past. I suppose...I suppose I could at least return the favor by opening the door between us.

A clap of thunder made me jump, and she must have been startled, too, because the door shook slightly. I realized with amusement that she was probably sitting on the other side if the door, For all I knew, we were back-to-back.

I stood up with a sigh and then opened the door.

"Oof!" She must have been leaning heavily against the door as she sat, because she tumbled backwards inside.

"Hi there!" She said with an embarrassed smile, getting to her feet.

"You're right," I stated. "I don't trust you."

She hung her head. "I didn't think so. But my promise still stands."

I raised an eyebrow. "Both of them?"

She lowered her eyes. Then, with hesitation, she slowly nodded.

"You better. I don't want to see you with that other servant again. He's a bad influence on you."

She put her hands on her hips. "He is _not._ Malice is kind and caring, and he's a loyal friend." She bit her lip. "And...And I'll do my best to stay away from him. Both of them."

"Good. And..." I looked away. "I do not believe I asked you to stay away from the young girl."

She stared at me. "You mean Brooke?"

"No, that's not it." I thought for a moment.

She rolled her eyes, but she had a pleasant look on her face. "You _really _have to start using names. I mean, it's much more clear than just 'the girl' or 'the child'."

"Is that so?" I snapped my fingers in realization. "I remember now! She's the younger sister of your friend. Magenta, is it?"

"Violet," she corrected dryly. "It's Violet."

"Right." I sighed. "Violet. I don't care if you spend your meaningless hours with her." I let out a sigh, and then stretched out my sore arms. "Well, it's good to have that settled, but for tonight, we should rest."

"Yes, sleep. Sounds good." She agreed.

She looked around a little, uncomfortably shifting her balance between feet. Then, she cleared her throat and left the room.

With the girl gone, I climbed back into bed—clothes and all. This time, when I laid down, I fell into a deep sleep with ease.

* * *

**Marissa's POV**

Despite the storm, that night was very restful. I slept like a log. It was so nice to have that off my chest. Of course, it wasn't like Ghirahim had been particularly friendly, but it was nice that he'd given me a chance to apologize. And he hadn't been a _total_ jerk about it. All in all, I felt like last night's talk went well.

I slipped out of bed and got dressed. Then I turned on my phone. It was almost dead. I fished through my recently returned adventure pouch and retrieved my solar charger. I looked at my closed window, and then spotted a place on the sill to set my phone while it charged. I set a piece of paper near it so as to distract attention from the modern technology.

I stared at it for a moment, worried that someone might see it.

Then I realized that the only one who ever came into my room besides me was Brooke. And she wouldn't dare touch one of my belongings. She was too timid. Sure, sometimes Ghirahim came in here, but usually he didn't.

Reassured, I finally closed the door, and then walked across the hall.

"Hey, Ghirahim?" I knocked on the wooden door-frame. After a moment, the demon opened the door.

"What?"

I almost laughed at his ruffled white hair. "Quick question: how long does it take you to get ready in the morning?"

"Well..." he glared at me. "Why are you really here?"

"I want to take Violet for a walk. I was wondering...can I take her to a nearby village?"

Ghirahim hesitated. Then he sighed. "Fine. But stay on the estate. There are several villages on either edge of my land. And be back in no more than two hours."

I brightened. "Really? Thanks!"

And with that, I promptly ran towards the barracks.

* * *

**There. Man, my hands are sore!**

**So, sorry if I scared anyone with my prank! I just couldn't resist. I didn't reaize that this story was so important to you guys...wow. I feel really happy right now.**

**Anyway, as always please fav/follow. And reviews are great, as always. You guys are the greatest readers ever!**

**~Catwhiskers24~**


	39. Chapter 37: The Trail of Destruction

**I am _SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO _sorry everyone. It's been forever since my last update. I just got behind with all the strange stuff going on in my life. I've had two strange weeks (strange in the best possible ways), and I was utterly exhausted this weekend. I finally managed to make time to relax and write yesterday, and now I feel much better. I had no idea how good of a stress reliever writing was. Huh.**

**Anyway, I've been blathering for a while now. This A/N ends now.**

**Oops, almost forgot.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own LoZ, just my OC's and altered plot line.**

* * *

**Marissa's POV**

"Come on!" Violet squealed, half-pulling me down the hill in her excitement. "I wanna see the village!"

"I know," I laughed, struggling to catch my breath. "Just be careful, okay Vi? I don't want you to get hurt. Your brother would kill me."

My words did nothing to decelerate the young demon as she dashed forward, towards the south side of the estate. It was times like these that made me wonder how much energy _I'd _had as a child, considering how tireless Violet could be.

I nearly tripped over a rock hidden in a small brier patch.

"Look out for rocks!" I called dryly.

"I'm fine," she responded. I shook my head in amusement.

We sped over the edge of the hill and across the glittering green grass of Ghirahim's estate. The sun glowed high in the late morning sky. Each living, twitching blade seemed to catch fire as it caught the rays of the familiar day star.

As we ran, a fog began to fall over the ground. It may have been ominous, had it not been for Violet, who squealed with excitement as tiny droplets of water brushed her smooth, flawless skin.

Soon, the dying lights of small huts broke into the morning mist. This sent Violet scurrying forward at an even faster pace, her little legs moving as fast as they possibly could.

"Slow down!" I called as the girl's impatient arm broke free of my hand. Violet ignored me, her excitement not to be delayed any longer.

Many moving figures came into view as we drew ever closer. The villagers were already up and beginning their day. And I thought _I _had become an early riser.

Everyone was out—the young, the old; the strong, the weak. Most were working, while others—namely the younger children—were playing.

At least four demon children were in sight. I motioned for Violet to go up to them, but she hesitated.

"What if..." Violet looked up at me with watery eyes. "W-What if they don't like me? What if they make me go away?"

"Look...Violet," I smiled reassuringly. "These are your people. Don't you want to be with your own kind? You've been surrounded by bokoblins and other monsters for as long as you can remember, right?" She nodded. "Right. So wouldn't it be fun to get to know other young demons? You want that, don't you?"

Violet nodded earnestly. But then she stared at her small feet. "Yeah...but I'm not used to playing with demons. I only know bokoblin games. How am I supposed to act around them? They'll probably think I'm stupid or weird or something."

I knelt down next to her and patted her head. "It's natural to be nervous, Vi. But you'll be fine. Trust me! You are a cute, smart, sweet little ball of energy. They'll love you. I promise. Just be yourself."

Violet's lower lip wobbled. Then she smiled a little and embraced me.

"Oh! Uh...thanks..." I exclaimed, surprised.

And with that, the little demon ran off to join the others. I followed at a distance.

I was right. She fit right in. As soon as she approached, the other kids surrounded her in curiosity and burst out in excited chatter.

The children listened in fascination as Violet told them about where she'd come from. She told them about the manor, the barracks, her bokoblin family, Al, and to my surprise, _Ghirahim._

I stiffened when I heard her mention his name, and I strained to listen.

"...seems mean and cruel, but I think he's really just sad on the inside. Most people say he's a bad, bad man, but I think he just needs a friend." Violet was saying in a matter-of-fact tone.

I sighed, fighting back a smile at her childish ignorance. If only it was that simple. If only it was just as she'd said, and not that his personality had been warped by years of abuse, topped by a large variety of psychological issues. She just couldn't understand that. She was too young.

Soon, the children got over the shock of the new arrival and began to play. They began what looked like tag. Except instead of getting "tagged", the tagger became the Hylian, and all the other children were the innocent villagers.

"I'm gonna get you!" One of the young demons—a little boy—called and chased after his companions.

He tagged a girl on the arm.

"Agh! You got me! I'm dead!" She wailed dramatically.

"Larina is the Hylian now! Run!" The boy called, running in the opposite direction.

I watched them play this for a while, but it was distracting. Why were the taggers Hylians? Was it just because Hylians were their enemies in the last war? Or was it because they thought _Hylians _were the evil ones?

Then it hit me: The demons thought _we _were the bad guys. They didn't think what they did was wrong. In their opinion, in the Ancient War, they were simply fighting alongside their king to help their realm and people. They thought they were right, that the Hylians were the ones to blame.

And that shouldn't surprise me. I mean, all throughout history, people had been this way. Many people wouldn't have fought unless they thought they were right, or if their leader wasn't threatening them. I had a feeling both applied in this case. And they still might think they were right. I mean, just look at the Civil War. Wasn't it sometimes referred to as the "War of Northern Aggression?"

Heck, history always had _some _bias to it. It was impossible to keep it completely neutral. Some person needs to record history, and chances are, they're on one side or another. In fact, I'd received the main history of this war from Hylia. _Hylia_. The _leader_ of the other side.

Just as I began to become a bit suspicious, a loud noise broke into my thoughts.

"Hey! That's cheating!"

I straightened up. Two of the children were facing each other, their tiny hands balled into fists and their faces twisted with frustration.

"It is not!" The other snapped defensively. "It isn't my fault you're slow!"

"I'm not slow! You called a time-out!"

"So?"

"So you can't get me during time-out!'

"I just did." The other child said smugly.

The first demon's face grew red. He clenched his fist even tighter.

"Hey! Stop it!" I stepped between them. "There will be no punching or kicking. Got it?"

Five pairs of eyes turned to look at me. Four of the faces paled. Violet stood off to the side, looking unsure what to do.

"Who...Who are you?" One of the demons asked in a small voice.

"I'm..." I cleared my throat. "Ocean. I'm Violet's friend."

The kids continued to stare at me.

"Hey everyone!" I said, trying to change the subject. "You want to play a new game?"

I immediately got 100% of their attention.

"Well," I scratched the back of my neck. "Have any of you guys ever played..._Hide and Seek_?"

They all shook their heads. I hastily began to explain the rules, hoping to distract everyone from the earlier tension.

They were all actually very fast learners, and we began our first round with little confusion. I was the seeker. And I had to find five small, hyperactive demon children. How hard could it be?

* * *

**Ghirahim's POV**

I sat at my desk, trying to get some work done. I had to find the Spirit Maiden. My life depended on it—literally.

"Now," I picked up a book, "If I were a reincarnated goddess, where would I hide, hmm?"

The fact was, I couldn't concentrate. My thoughts were constantly being interrupted by images of the girl—images of her getting into trouble. Why did I let her leave, just like that? She was very accident-prone; that much was obvious.

I paged through book after book, looking for some hint, some clue to point me in the right direction.

"BY DIN, THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE!" I exclaimed. I immediately cringed at the power of my sentence.

_Don't say that_. I scolded myself sharply. _It's very possible. Think, there must be something!_

But there wasn't. Nothing I could think of, anyway. I needed help. I needed a new set of eyes to help me look, another brain to think. Another point of view to look from.

I needed...

"Master!"

I nearly fell out of my chair as the door flung open. Leal rushed into my room, short on breath.

"You realize, my dear Leal, that there is such a thing as knocking?" I asked dryly, too weary to scold him.

"It's the Rebels!" Leal panted, doubled over.

"What about them?" I stood up. "Don't tell me they're in the manor again."

"No, no they're not. But a bokoblin sentry spotted a large group of them heading towards one of the villages."

"Not again," I moaned. "Have you sent a patrol to intercept them?"

"Yes, but I fear they will not reach the attackers in time." Leal responded grimly.

I lowered my head, feeling a slight bit of remorse for the villagers who would soon face the destruction of their homes.

"Are you sure they won't be able to intercept the Rebels?" I asked.

"Yes, quite. Our troops are lagging behind quite a bit, I'm afraid."

I cursed under my breath.

"You could..." Leal swallowed. "You could...intercept them _yourself_, My Lord."

"No," I responded immediately. "Would you go _looking _for those who want you dead, servant? Think about that. It would be suicide."

"Yes but..." Leal hesitated. "The villagers...they...I mean you can't just..."

I silenced him with a glare.

"Very well," his voice was strained. "I just thought you ought to know."

"Thank you," I said blandly, my words empty.

"Will that be all?"

I sighed.

"Which village are they going to?" I asked.

"The southern one." Leal responded.

I thought for a moment. "Send Herb and the other healers to tend to the wounded. Instruct the defense patrol to pursue the Rebels if they can."

I ignored any response Leal gave, and instead turned my attention back to my work.

* * *

**Marissa's POV**

"Sure. Tell a bunch of little kids to go hide in village near a forest. What could go wrong?" I scolded myself bitterly, pushing my way through trees and bramble thickets. I probably was going to look like I was attacked by a giant badger by the time I got out of here.

I returned back to where I'd left the three kids I'd already found. Now it was just Violet and one of the other little boys.

"You sure you don't know where they are?" I asked the 'found' group. They all shrugged.

"Alright..." I returned to the path I had just created through the undergrowth. Eventually, I came to a large clearing.

"Violet?" I called. "Hey Violet?"

I listened for a minute, and then smiled as I heard what I was waiting for: a giggle.

I made my way towards the source of the quiet laughing. I noticed a bush was shaking.

"Found you!" I exclaimed, revealing my younger acquaintance from underneath the prickly clump of leaves.

"Aww..." She whined.

"You really didn't want to make that easy for me, did you?" I commented. But I was relieved to have found her nonetheless.

"Nope!" she giggled with a bounce.

I laughed. "Alright, then. You wanna help me find your friend?"

She nodded eagerly, and then we set off down the path.

"Hey!" I called. "You can come out now! You won!"

I looked at Violet. "You know his name?"

She shook her head.

I continued to look around, calling for the kid to reveal himself.

"Maybe he's already with everyone else?" I suggested.

I lead the way out of the small line of trees. That's when I saw it: fire. I could see fire, burning the leaves on the trees, and consuming everything in sight. Screams could be heard from all around. I saw bokoblins running through the village, bursting into houses, and destroying everything in sight. The group of children was gone.

Violet's eyes were huge with terror. I took her hand. "Violet, we have to get out of here."

All of a sudden, a frantic woman ran up to us.

"You! You were with my son, weren't you? Where is he?"

I felt a cold sensation creep down my spine.

I bolted towards the forest without answering the woman. "Stay here!" I called over my shoulder to a frozen Violet.

I dashed blindly through the forest, making constant, sharp turns.

"Hey! Kid! Where are you?" I cried desperately. I suddenly wished I had asked the woman for his name.

My eyes watered from smoke, and I could barely breath. The panic was also contributing to my struggle for air. The fog had been getting thicker, and now it was somehow mixing with the smog to make a dark curtain in front of my vision.

I wanted to cry, to wail like a helpless little kid, but I knew that wasn't my job right now. The little demon I was looking for was probably doing that for me.

"Please! Someone!" I shouted, praying that I would hear a voice respond.

I heard a crash as a tree engulfed in flames lost a limb.

I cursed under my breath, my mind spinning. I _have _to find him.

"Ocean!" A familiar voice broke into my thoughts.

I whipped around. "Violet?"

The young girl was running towards me. I almost sobbed with relief when I saw the boy following behind her.

"What are you doing? I told you to stay there!" I scolded, horrified by what could've happened had she been found by one of the attackers.

"Sorry..." She hung her head. "But I found him."

"I see that. Now come on—we've gotta get you guys out of here!'

I led the way down the trail, desperately hoping that I was going the right way.

Suddenly, I heard another rustling noise. I stiffened. The bushes around us quivered. We were in a small clearing. And after the bushes shook again, it was clear what was happening—we were surrounded.

Before I could comprehend what was happening, bokoblins appeared from the undergrowth—all of them holding spears.

Instinctively, I dove to the ground, trying to shield Violet with my back. Spears impaled the ground around us, but neither of us were harmed.

I stayed on the ground, just waiting for something to happen. And something did.

I heard more yells as a squadron of Ghirahim's troops entered the forest, chasing off what I realized were the Rebels.

I waited until the area around us was relatively quiet. Then I looked up. We were alone, the two of us.

No...the three of us.

My blood turned ice-cold. The boy! I completely forgot about the young boy!

There he was...crumpled on the ground.

"Oh, please, no..." I ran to the kid's side. I gasped. A well-aimed spear had found its way into the kid's side.

I pulled him into my arms, not knowing what to do. The boy took in shallow, gasping breaths.

"Hey, it's okay. You're okay." I soothed, panicking.

Warm blood spilled down my arm from the wound in his side. He was crying, his eyes swimming with fear.

"HELP!" I screamed.

I felt like I should do something, that I could help him. I just didn't know how. So instead, I settled on taking his little hand and cradling his head.

The look on his pale, graying face, the way he fought for breath, his pointy ears...they all reminded me of how Dobby looked like in the seventh _Harry Potter._

Of course...the one death that I couldn't get over in that series...and now here I was.

It didn't take long before the boy stopped shaking. His chest stopped moving, and a blank expression slid across his empty, pale-green gaze.

You never really understand what it's like to be by someone who dies like this until you actually experience it. No number of sad movies, no quantity of death scenes in books..._nothing _could have prepared me for this. It was enough to make my calm demeanor spiral out of control after his shaking stopped, his body went stiff, and he became silent. I was frozen; denial building up inside me, just to be destroyed by guilt.

Violet began to cry next to me, and I just sat there. Numb. I didn't know the kid...I didn't even know his name. And yet grief was doing its best to consume me.

Soon, I heard a new voice.

"Ocean,"

I shook my head. Why couldn't everyone just leave me alone? I couldn't even...

"Ocean." The voice said in a more firm tone. I barely noticed when Herb took the lifeless body from my arms. He bowed his head and then closed the boys eyes.

I watched him whisper something in the ear of a bokoblin, who nodded and picked up the body.

"Ocean...we've got to go."

I didn't respond.

"Ocean..." Herb rested a hand on my shoulder. "Ghirahim is waiting for you. He'll want to know you're okay."

"Oh yeah..." I began quietly. "If Ghirahim was so worried about me, then why didn't he come stop this madness himself?"

"It's not that simple." Herb protested gently.

"Isn't it?" I whipped around. "It is actually _quite_ simple. Ghirahim let his people get slaughtered like...like animals! And he didn't do anything about it!" The tightness increased between my eyes. Then my shoulders slumped. "Then again.." I put my hands over my face. "Did I really do anything either?"

"Ocean, listen to me." Herb said firmly. "That boy received a mortal wound. Even if you were the greatest healer on the Surface, he was destined to die. It was his time. There was nothing you could do."

"That's what they all say!" I laughed humorlessly. "But there was something I could have done. I could feel it."

I started down the trail and didn't look back.

* * *

**Ghirahim's POV**

My concentration was broken once again. This time it was by some commotion out in the hall. I heard voices...and then a door slammed.

"Hey!"

I nearly jumped out of my skin as my door burst open for the second time. Platnox stormed inside.

"What are you—"

"Did you know about the attack?" The noble demanded.

I refused to answer.

Platnox cursed at me angrily, frustration crossing his face.

"And you, the most powerful demon on this estate, did nothing to stop them?"

I shrugged. "I sent some healers to help the wounded."

"Healers!" Platnox scoffed. He moved so that he was inches away from me. "What good can healers do for the dead?"

I was silent for a moment.

"It is not your place to judge me or my decisions." I informed him coldly.

"Nor is it yours to sit around while your people are slaughtered," Platnox snapped. "I just can't believe you'd let this happen. I thought I knew you better than that."

The turned away. "I'm not the only one angry with you. You know that, right?"

And with that, he stalked out of my room.

I sat at my desk numbly. Besides the girl, Leal and Platnox were the only two whom I'd ever considered to be relatively close to an acquaintance. And it seemed I was rapidly losing support from both of them.

I wondered who else was bitter with me. The answer was clear, of course: Everyone.

But there was one person who he likely meant in particular. And she was probably the one who slammed that door.

I crossed the hallway to the servant girl's room and knocked on the door.

No one answered. The door wasn't locked. So I went in.

She was sitting on her bed, her head bowed.

"Are you..." I began cautiously.

"Go away," she cut in. "It's your fault he's dead."

"Who?"

"I don't know! Some kid. But he died and...and I couldn't do anything about it," she mumbled miserably.

I sat next to her on the bed. She didn't do anything about it.

"Violet could've been killed, too. Malice probably hates me now," she continued.

"No...I really doubt it," I assured her, shaking my head. "He seems to be very fond of you, you know."

She shrugged weakly. "Right. Imagine that."

"It's true!" I laughed lightly.

"Yeah, I know," she sighed. I saw a ghost of her strangely contagious smile, and felt a bit of warmth for her.

I set an hand on her shoulder, and she flinched.

"You know I don't like physical contact," she muttered.

"I know. But I also know it's making you feel better." I reasoned.

She didn't protest.

"You're very difficult to read sometimes." I informed her.

"I know," she smiled again. "And you're really bipolar."

Then her smile faded. "You are a coward, you know that?"

I shrugged. "Because I didn't attack a group of monsters who desperately want me dead?"

"No," she shook her head. "Because you left your people to burn. You could have just warned them, you know."

"I could have," I agreed.

"Then why didn't you?"

I focused my gaze on a shadow on her far wall, as if memorizing its exact position.

"I was scared," I blurted out.

She laced her fingers, staring at her dirty, bleeding knuckles. "So was he—the little boy. I could see it in his eyes."

"No-one wants to die." I reminded her. "No-one expects it."

"No one deserves to die either," she pointed out sadly. "Especially not kids. We were playing a game and..." she trailed off. "He didn't do anything wrong. And now he's dead."

She leaned against me a little. "I still think you are a coward. But I'm kinda glad that you're not dead."

I smiled a little, enjoying the warmth of her arm against mine.

"Just...promise me one thing, okay?" She asked.

"Yes?"

"Now that I see how dangerous these Rebels are, I understand how dangerous they are. And they're going to get you eventually."

She traced the tip of her finger across my glove, as if too traumatized to completely understand what was going on.

"But I'm not gonna let them. I'm gonna try to help stop them but..." she stared at me with serious blue eyes. "Promise me that you'll do more to stop them."

I covered her blood-stained hand with my own.

"I promise."

* * *

**How violent.**

**Thanks to all of you who read/faved/followed/reviewed this so far. You are all GREATLY appreciated. I thank you for your continued support.**

**Anyway,**

**THAT'S ALL FOLKS.**

**For now.**

**Until next time, this is Catwhiskers24, signing off.**

**~Catwhiskers24~**


	40. Chapter 38: Accidents Will Happen

**Hey! I'm gonna be quick. This took a while, I know. But I was building the set for a play, but that's over now. The next chapter should be relatively on time. So, um, yeah. Oh, and as a warning, there is a small spoiler to the game, but it isn't that bad.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own LoZ, just Marissa and my other OC's/my plotline.**

* * *

**Marissa's POV**

_KNOCK KNOCK._

Silence. I tried again.

_KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK_.

The door to the infirmary remained shut and locked.

"Herb, you in there?" I called, lowering my now bruised hand. I'd been knocking for a while now. I was sure he was in his office. Pretty sure, anyway.

I cracked my knuckles, raised my fist, and continued to rap on the heavy, windowed doors. It was awfully dark in there. But I refused to leave.

_KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK—_

"I'm coming, I'm coming. Just stop hitting that damn door!"

I whipped around. Herb was walking towards me crossly from the other side of the barracks.

"Herb! There you are!" I ran towards him.

"Yes. And I heard that infernal knocking the first _hundred _times." He retorted dryly.

"Sorry," I bit my lip. "Where were you, anyway?"

Herb blinked weary eyes before opening the door to the infirmary. We were already halfway across the room before he decided to answer my question.

"I was tending to the villagers injured in the attack," he responded quietly. "You of all people should understand how needed I was." Herb threw his satchel onto one of the beds, and then he sat next to it with an exhausted sigh. "So many people were maimed. It was disgusting, really. And that's coming from the healer who once dug an arrowhead from a soldier's back with his bear hands." He shook his head. "Those Rebels need to be stopped before anyone else is hurt."

"Yes, they do. That's kinda what I came here to talk to you about." I admitted, sitting on the other side of his medical bag.

Herb laughed, almost nervously. "Oh, Ocean. You are mistaken. I am not the person to talk to about this. Ghirahim is the only one who can really stop them."

"I know." I stood up, unable to sit still. I moved so that I was standing in front of him. "Lot's of people have been hurt, right? Lots more probably will die too, if the Rebels aren't stopped."

"Obviously." Herb raised an eyebrow. "You came all the way down here to tell me that? You must not have much to do. Either that or you thought you'd enjoy crushing the meager positivity I have left. And knowing you, Ms. Ocean-the-Optimist, I'm guessing it's not the latter. So why _are _you here?"

"Well, I was thinking," I began, starting to pace. "With all these casualties, it's going to be hard for you to save everyone. Especially if you aren't near someone when they are mortally wounded. And what if _you _get hurt? What then?"

Herb tilted his head. "Are you suggesting that I need an...an assistant or such?"

I stopped in front of him. "Yes. I think it would be wise."

"I agree." Herb nodded. "But, what you don't understand is I've tried to find one. But there aren't many willing individuals who are capable of such a commitment. This new healer would have much to learn. It can't be someone who'd lose their head in a life or death situation. They'd have to stay calm, focused, and they'd have to be prepared for failure. And most of all...they would have to be ready to immediately drop everything and work if someone were to need their help. I haven't found anyone who suits those requirements."

"Yes, most people would struggle with that. But I don't mean a full time healer. I mean someone who has another duty, but knows enough about healing that they could be useful." I started pacing again. "Someone who is likely to be around when disaster strikes, so that there can be a first- responder."

"Slow down." Herb ordered. "And for Faron's sake, stop pacing. You are making me dizzy."

"Sorry." I obeyed.

"Now," Herb stood up. "Is there someone you have in mind?"

"Well..." I bit my lip. "There is.._one person _that may be up for the job. See, I was thinking, and I realized there is one individual in particular who probably will need healing: The one the Rebels are after."

"Ghirahim." Herb agreed. "Yes, if they succeed in attacking him...I mean their attacks _are _getting more aggressive, more coordinated."

"Exactly. And the person I'm thinking of has been assigned specifically to protect him. It might be helpful for her to know how to heal him, just in case she messes up. Because, I mean, let's face it. She's bound to make a mistake sooner or later. But it might not be that bad if she can heal him right after he gets hurt.

"I guess what I'm saying is..." I clasped my hands behind my back nervously. "The person I want you to train to heal, is...well..._me._"

Herb was quiet for a moment. Then he laughed. "Oh, Ocean. Why didn't you just say so? I'd love to teach you a few things. I already told you I would, didn't I?"

I smiled, encouraged by his reaction. "Yeah, when Ghirahim was hurt. You said if I wanted to learn a bit more about healing, I should come own to your office to help out. So...here I am."

"My only question," Herb stood up. "is this: Why the sudden interest?"

"Well..." I scratched the back of my neck in embarrassment. "I guess with the kid and all...I mean...I couldn't do anything and..."

"Ocean." Herb said firmly. "I already told you. The boy probably would've perished regardless. Few can survive a spear to the side. And as young as he was, I'm surprised he didn't die as soon as that pike pierced his body. It was a fatal wound. There is nothing you could've done."

"I know but..." I trailed off. "It made me realize how much I hate being...useless. I wanted to be able to do something, not just sit there. Besides that...I've always been interested in healing. Before Ghirahim captured me, my plans were to enter the medical field anyway. I just feel like its my...my calling. I don't know how to explain it."

"You don't have to." Herb rested a hand on my shoulder. "I understand you completely. I felt the same way. That's why I became a healer in the first place. And I am proud that a friend of mine has the same passion for this...this art. I'd be honored to teach you my skill."

"Great!" I exclaimed. "When do we start?"

"Slow down," Herb laughed. "I need to get one thing straight."

"What?"

"Ghirahim is currently training you to fight, correct?"

"Of course."

Herb nodded. "Are you sure you are prepared to take on both of our training at the same time? Aren't you busy enough with Ghirahim's training?"

"No," I answered honestly. "Ghirahim and I...yeah we train. A lot. But that doesn't mean all the time. Some days, like today, he gives me a day off. And other times we are only training in the morning or afternoon. Ghirahim is a busy guy. He has other stuff to do, too."

"Good." Herb nodded.

"And besides," I smirked. "Sometimes he can't last more than a few hours before getting furious with my "inadequacy". I tend to get out of there before things can get hairy."

"Understandable." Herb was smiling, too. "Very well. As long as you don't get me into trouble, I'm completely willing to train you in. Just don't make it a reason for Ghirahim to be angry with me. At the moment, I am one of the few people not on his bad side. I'd rather that not change."

"Understandable." I mimicked. "Now, like I said, when do I start?"

"Well..." Herb moved to a tall cabinet. He opened the door, revealing a small supply of various leaves and berries.

"I'm running out of materials. I was going to wait to take a gathering trip to Faron, but...what the hell? You want to go look for herbs?"

"Sure." I tapped him on the shoulder. "Found one."

We laughed harder than we probably should've.

* * *

Faron woods was beautiful today. Birds sung in the trees. The wind made rustling noises as it brushed against the leaves. I enjoyed the feeling of the sun on my arms.

It hadn't been hard to leave the manor. Ghirahim must have lowered the magical alarms for some reason, because no one confronted us as we crossed the grounds. It was interesting to physically cross the border into Faron woods, and not teleport here. I asked Herb why we were walking instead of warping, but he'd just said something about walking being healthier. He changed the subject pretty quickly after that.

Now here we were, wandering down the golden paths of the Surface's largest forest. Herb showed me various plants, telling me what they did. Some did nothing. Some were poisonous. Others, the ones we actually collected, had some medicinal purpose.

At one point, Herb pointed out a plant that looked a lot like a plant back home. He said it was called creamplant.

"See this?" He gently caressed the weed with two fingers. "This is a creamplant sprout. It isn't much use for us, but it's special. You know why?"

I shook my head. "It tastes like cream?" I guessed dryly.

Herb laughed. "No. Well, I don't know actually. But it is the favorite food of Goddess Butterfly caterpillars. A young caterpillar lives its entire life on this. Then it forms a cocoon and turns into a butterfly."

"Chrysalis, actually." I corrected. "Cocoons are usually used by moths."

"Ah, that's right." Herb admitted. He slipped his hands into the pockets of his scrub-like pants. "So you know something about these insects, hmm?"

"Well, not Goddess Butterflies." I shrugged. "But there were other species where I come from. They use a plant called milkweed."

"Fascinating." Herb turned to me. "So, where _do _you come from?"

"I don't like to talk about it." I muttered lamely.

"I see." Luckily, Herb wasn't the nosy type. He didn't press any farther. "I can understand that. We all have our own little..._secrets._"

"Yeah."

I decided to change the subject before I accidentally gave anything away.

"Is this useful?" I pointed to a fuzzy, purple plant.

"Why, yes, it is." Herb confirmed. "Good eye. That's called Kikwi's Ear. Quite useful, acually. It prevents wounds from infection. It also speeds up the clotting process. I believe it strengthens scabs as well."

"Like how a kikwi prevents itself from being attacked?"

"Yeah, sort of." Herb laughed. He bent over and picked several of the leaves and then slipped them into his bag.

"Oh! I see some stamina fruit!" He raced over to the limb-green fruit. The healer plucked the green object from the ground and added it to the other herbs, saying, "Take a bite of that and you'll get over any cold or ache, not to mention you'll feel like you could run a few miles."

"That could come in handy."

"Yes, it sure will." Herb agreed. He plucked the leaves from their stem. "There leaves help prevent and fight infections. Combined with other herbs, it will keep just about any poison at bay. Not to mention the fact that a poultice of this is great for the common cold."

Herb went on like this for the next hour, finding plants and telling me their uses. It was all very useful, though I knew I'd never remember it all. Finally, we came to the entrance to the Sealed Grounds.

"Anything good in there?" I asked.

Herb stopped. "Well, yes actually. There are heart-shaped flowers that can help even those inches from death hold onto life. And there are some colorful flowers with a world of uses.

"Then why don't we go in?"

Herb laughed nervously. "The only demon crazy enough to do that is Ghirahim. There is powerful magic in there. It would be suicide for any creature of Demise's realm to venture in."

"Then I'll go."

Herb stared at me. "Are you sure? It could be dangerous. I've known demons who, upon nearing the gate, have lost there minds. And that's not where it ends. Bad things can happen, if one crosses the Old Woman. Terrible things."

I shrugged. "Yeah well, I'm not a demon, am I? I'm human."

"Human?"

I flinched. "Skyloftian. Humans are..." I broke off. "Where I come from, human is just what we call those of us with round ears."

It really scared me how good I was at lying now.

Herb nodded. "I see. And you may have a point. The Old Woman wouldn't bother a Skyloftain. She'd probably welcome you, in fact. As for Demise's magic..." Herb nudged me towards the entrance. "It shouldn't have the same effect on you. Hopefully."

"That's reassuring." I muttered. I started towards the entrance to the Pit.

* * *

The Pit was deep. Like, really deep. It was hard to get a sense of depth when playing as Link. I guess animation can only do so much to give you an accurate depth perception.

I loved heights, though I still steered clear of the edge as I walked towards the entrance to the temple.

The flowers were there, just as Herb said. I took several of both species, trying my best not to damage the bulbs.

"You won't be needing those."

I nearly jumped out of my skin at a slow, croak of a voice.

I turned to see the Old Woman standing just inside the door to the temple.

"What?"

The woman started towards me, the red of her cloak clashing with the emerald green of the grass.

"Those flowers, as well and every other herb you've collected; you won't need them." She informed me.

"I don't understand..."

"There is a reason you thought you could save that boy. There's a reason your heart aches to heal." She continued.

"Yes, but what _is _that reason?" I asked.

"All in good time." She assured me with a wrinkled smile.

"Ugh, you sound like Hylia." I whined.

The woman's smile grew. "I know who you are. And you know that. Too, you know who I am, despite the fact we've never before met. You must know that is one of the best complements I could ever receive."

"I know, Impa." I laughed.

The woman bowed, her graying blonde hair lurching forward.

"It is strangely pleasant that someone knows who I really am. Your companions had no idea." The woman admitted, a strange purr in her voice.

"I feel the same." I agreed.

It was strange talking to her. It felt like I already knew most of the characters in this world from my experience with the game. But for once, it seemed I had met someone who knew me. I guess Hylia let her in on the plan.

I blurted out a question that had been on my mind. "Am I doing okay? I mean, I have no idea if I'm what Hylia expected, and now Ghirahim is acting weird..." I lowered my head. "I just feel like I'm messing everything up."

"When you came into this world," The woman began thoughtfully. "Your job was to change what would've happened should Link be left with the task to save this world. What you believe is right...the events that you believe you are changing...they only seem to be wrong because you are comparing your situation to the scenario of the simulation. But you must remember...your prpose is to _change _that future. You'd only be failing if things were the same."

"So what you're saying is...I'm _supposed_ to mess stuff up?" I asked.

"In a sense, yes. If that is what it takes to save this world, than I suppose you are." The old woman turned away. "You must leave now. It would be unwise to attract attention to this place."

"Alright." I turned towards the door, shifting the flowers to the other hand. No matter what she said, I had a feeling I would still need them for a while.

* * *

"And she's alive!" Herb joked, sitting up. He had been leaning against a tree, sorting through some newly gathered plants.

"Yeah, I am. Why wouldn't I be?"

Herb began leading the way back through the forest.

"Like I said...there is some pretty strong magic in those grounds. Legend has it, that's where Demise is imprisoned." Herb informed me. "And supposedly, should a demon get close enough to his resting place, he gets...impatient."

"Impatient?" I tilted my head.

"According to legend, should a demon get close to the pit, Demise can...communicate with them. And it's not easy for his target. It's excruciating, actually. He forces himself into their mind...forces them to listen to him."

"Oh." I guess I already knew that.

"Of course, most sensible people don't believe in such nonsense." Herb said quickly.

"Do you?"

"Well..." Herb shrugged. "I never said _I_ was sensible."

"So you believe it?"

"I didn't." Herb lowered his voice. "Then one day, a demon—you can probably guess who—took a trip to Faron Woods. He came back much later than we'd expected. He was shaking and pale, and no one could understand his incoherent babbling. His symptoms...they lined up startlingly closely to how the legend described what would happen should you receive such a vision. I couldn't help but suspect. Especially because of this particular demon's connection with Demise. I'm guessing you know who I'm talking about?"

"Ghirahim..." I breathed. I considered telling Herb about his last incident in the woods, in this very spot, but I decided against it.

"Why would Demise do that to him?" I asked.

"Why wouldn't he? No one said Demise was compassionate. He does what he has to to get his message across, even if it is cruel."

"Then why does Ghirahim serve him?" I pressed.

Herb shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe because he's as sadistic as his master. Or maybe he thinks of Demise as his father. The Demon King _did _raise him. Maybe Ghirahim is just being loyal. But I doubt it. I suspect it's just an act. Truthfully, I think he's scared. I think he feels like he has to, like his life depends on it."

"What do you think?" I asked.

Herb turned to face me. "I think...if he keeps pushing everyone else away...he's dead either way."

We were both silent for a while. I _had _to figure out how to convince Ghirahim to stop serving Demise. Not just for my sake anymore, but for his. I didn't want to see him suffer any longer. But how could I get that into his head? That it was for his own good, that Demise was a horrid master?

I pushed these thoughts from my mind. There were more pressing matters for me to deal with. Like, say, not getting lost in these woods.

But I didn't need to worry. Soon, we had entered the Demon Realm, and I could see the manor rising up in the distance.

"Thanks for...well..everything, Herb." I said finally.

"It was a pleasure." He smiled. "You are like the little sister I've never had, even if you are human. I'm proud to help."

"Thanks, bro." I casually threw an arm around his shoulders. "But I should warn you...I tend to drive my actual brother insane. You may not be safe from my teasing either."

Herb smiled. "Maybe I'll get lucky."

"Maybe." I smirked.

Maybe would get lucky. And then, maybe so would I. Maybe I would manage to talk Ghirahim out of serving Demise. But to do that, I needed something to show him just how bad Demise was. But to do that, I'd need to reveal just how much I knew about him, his world,, and his future.

Upon entering this world, I'd promised myself I wouldn't spoil anything for any of the characters. After all, would anyone really like their fate to be spoiled?

But maybe that's exactly what I had to do. Perhaps it was time for a spoiler.

* * *

**Ghirahim's POV**

Don't get me wrong—I knew the girl had left this time. But did I care?

A little. But not much. I had to give her space, so as to avoid another situation like last time. Besides, she was with Herb this time. Herb could be trusted. And now that she'd returned, I'd have nothing to worry about. She had followed Herb back to his office about an hour ago.

But despite all of this, my biggest reason for letting this act of defiance go was that I had bigger issues on my hands.

A mob of bokoblins had come to protest. They had been enraged by how little I'd done to stop the attack. They didn't understand that I hadn't had much time to react properly without putting the lives of my officers at risk.

Now I was walking toward the courtyard to break up the protest before things could turn even more violent.

"Ghirahim!"

The servant girl came to a stop behind me as I walked down the halls.

"Whatcha doin?" She asked.

"A group of bokoblins have decided to rebel against me, so I must take care of them." I answered without looking at her. She put her hands on her hips.

"You're not going to fight them, are you?" She asked suspiciously. "There has already been so much violence."

"I will if I have to. Sometimes that's what it takes. I'll warn them, but if they don't stop posing a threat, I'll have to dispose of them."

"Well, if I can't stop you...then I'll come with you." She offered. This surprised me.

"That won't be necessary." I said bluntly.

"But I can help!" She insisted. "You've seen me in action. Besides, I'm supposed to protect you, remember? You assigned me as your personal guard."

I grit my teeth. The last thing I wanted was to have to keep an eye on the girl.

"I don't need your assistance." I said, a bit sharper than I intended. She didn't appear fazed.

"I'm coming with you, and you can't stop me." She argued, stubbornly crossing her arms. I sighed, pushing the door to the courtyard open. "And if I were you, I'd give me my sword. You wouldn't want me getting hurt _again,_ now would you?"

Normally I wouldn't have even considering giving her a weapon. But I was starting to understand this girl, and it appeared that she was telling the truth. She just wanted to help. And she would just end up getting herself killed if she didn't have anything to defend herself with.

"I suppose not," I muttered. With a snap of my fingers, I summoned her sword and handed it to her. "Just... stay out of my way."

She nodded and followed me outside. We were met by a crowd of bokoblins, all gripping weapons. Before I could warn them to leave, the head monster charged forward. And so, the battle began.

I cut through several bokoblins charging at me, and glanced around.

I cursed under my breath as I realized I had lost sight of the girl.

I heard footsteps behind me, and whipped around to cut them down. But they were already on the ground. The servant girl looked quite proud of herself. I noticed the monsters weren't dead; she'd went for their knees.

"I've got your back!" She called, moving behind me. I felt her shoulders brush lightly against my back, giving me a thrill of joy. No one had ever, 'had my back' in a fight before. Not even Demise. The warmth of my companion made me feel safe. Invincible.

A cluster of monsters ran at me, and I sliced through them with ease. I smiled as I heard several shrieks behind me, signaling that she was having similar success. I moved away from her briefly and struck down a large clump of creatures. I sent magical knives at some others. Now there were only a few left. I took down two more. I felt something brush up against my back, and whipped around. I swung my sword, intending to take out the monster's legs. I heard the yelp, and pulled back too late as I realized who I was attacking.

"Ow!" The girl exclaimed. We both looked down to see a deep gash in both her shins. Blood ran down her ankles. She blinked once, and then swayed and fell, scraping her knee and arm. I helped her up.

"I-I didn't intend to hit you!" I said, desperately hoping she understood. I knocked over the rest of the bokoblins with a glowing knife. Then I turned to the girl again. She clutched her shins.

"I-It's okay." She stuttered.

"I must take you to the infirmary at once." I said. I cursed under my breath as I realized I'd used too much magic in the battle. I was too weary to teleport us both.

"I will carry you."

She shook her heard.

"I can walk." She insisted, leading the way out of the courtyard. I followed carefully. I kept an arm around her waist in support. I felt a sickening sense of remorse. I didn't know why. I had just killed a dozen monsters, and I was worried about a girl's injured _shin_. How peculiar. I couldn't help but notice the sheet of blood pulsing from her shins. Concern ignited inside me.

"Are you sure you can make it?" I asked. She nodded.

"I'll be fine. Leg wounds always bleed 'alot." I wasn't convinced. Her voice sounded a bit drowsy, and her words were almost slurred.

"You really shun't feel at 'bad. M'brother broke my finger once. See, look." She held up her hand, revealing the middle finger on her right hand was a bit different. One of the nails was a bit more rugged, as though it'd had to grow back. "It wuz a han'weight. Dropped righ on my finger like.." She held a fist up and slowly lowered it onto the finger for emphasis. "Bang! Pow! Finga nail cuts back into bone an' skin. Blood everywhere; tip was like, in half. Could see bone n' stuff. Gross righ?" She said, a lot more jolly than most people would when talking about such a painful injury. And why would she be so open with me now? She had never even told me she had a sibling.

"We're breakin' ol' McDonald's toys an' I tried'a stop 'im. Finga gets trapped between floor n' weight. Ouchies. Boom goes the dynamite. Bang." Now she definitely wasn't making sense. Saying words like 'McDonald's.' What on the Surface was a 'McDonalds'? And the sound effects...

"Bang..." I echoed.

"Bang bang into the room... Bang bang all over you..." She said, prancing around. "Ima fall down now." She fell back, and I caught her before she hit the ground. With a sigh, I lifted her up. She wrapped her thin arms around my neck and looked up at me.

"Thanks, pal. I like your face." I blinked down at her as she added, "You're not that bad." Then she rested her head against my shoulder. The trusting, affectionate gesture surprised me greatly. I smiled slightly.

"Yes, and you aren't that horrible yourself, Sky Child." I said softly.

I felt something warm run down my shoulder. She had another large gash on her side. No wonder she was so woozy. Three deep wounds bleeding at once...

When we reached the infirmary, I flung open the door and walked in. Herb looked up.

What happened?" He demanded as I set her on a bed.

"There was an accident."

"What did you _do_?" He exclaimed, seeing the blood on my and her clothes.

"She was helping me fight a group of rebels, when I accidentally hit her. I forgot the fact that there was someone on my side out there." I admitted.

Herb shook his head in disapproval. "With all due respect, my lord, you need to be more careful with the girl. She is only human after all. Fragile creatures...humans." He retrieved a bottle of red potion from his shelf. He held it up to her lips, and she took a drink. Then her eyes grew wide, and she made a face.

"That's _disgusting_!" She exclaimed.

He wrapped her shins in bandages. She winced, biting her lip. I could tell she was trying not to cry.

"You've lost quite a bit of blood. You're going to have to rest for the next few days. It's going to leave quite the nasty scar."

I felt my throat tightening up. I couldn't believe I'd done this. It seemed like something Demise would do. She would have two scars for the rest of her life, reminding her what happened when she tried to help me. Like the scars crossing my back.

"I'm sorry!" I choked out. Hot tears streamed down my face, as much to my surprise as of the other two. When I started crying, she did too. But despite the fact she was injured in a hospital room, her tears were of mirth as she started laughing.

"It's not that bad!" She said between giggles. "Don't worry about it. I forgive you."

"But it will leave a scar..." I sniffed. She smiled at me.

"I have plenty of scars from dumb mistakes on my part. I think it makes me feel tough. Now I have one that reminds me I'm not the only one who makes mistakes. It's okay, I swear. No hard feelings, I promise. Forgive and forget, right?" She says with a comforting smile. I saw only amusement and trust in cerulean eyes. No anger. No fear.

"Right," I said.

She yawned.

"Well if you two gents don't mind, I think I'm going to get some sleep. And I literally hate this much attention so..." She laid on the bed and closed her eyes. Herb approached me.

"She's going to be a bit woozy when she wakes up. I had to mix in a little something for pain, and to help her sleep." Herb confessed.

"Okay." I said. "Don't worry, I'll be here."

"Great. Well, I guess I have work to do." I heard the door close as he left. I sat on a bed adjacent to the sleeping girl. I noted a few things about her. She slept curled in a ball, clutching the pillow. The way she was so snuggled under the covers was kind of...cute. Heartwarming. I reached forward to sweep a strand of brown hair out of her eyes. She started awake.

"Mm...Wh-who?...Wha?" She gasped. I felt oddly self conscious.

"I was simply checking to see if you were okay." I lied. She blinked at me in confusion.

"Why am I here again?"

"There was an accident. Do you remember?" She furrowed her brow, and then nodded.

"Oh yeah, you accidentally hit me in the shins with his sword."

"That would be it." I said. "How do you feel?"

She yawned.

"Tired. Sore. And damn...my legs feel like they were attacked by a badger. S'all good though. I'll be fine." She blinked sleepily. "I can't stay mad at ya for long. I actually like you a little, you know. You're not terrible anymore. You're actually really nice n' I trust you." I gaped at her.

"You do?"

"Mmhmm. You're really somethin'." She continued. I smiled at her.

"Can I be honest wi' you?" She asked. "I've bin lien' to ya. I'm actually not frum here. Is this place far away. Oh n also I lied 'bout my name, too. It's not Ocean, it's...waffles." She fell back asleep mid sentence.

I stared, shocked, at her.

* * *

**So, I'm sorry for any typos. I didn't have much time to proofread, though I'll try to fix any later. Just be patient please.**

**Also, I just wanted to mention that I made a reference to the song _Bang Bang by _Arianna Grande, Jessie J, and Nicki Manaj, and a more subtle one to _Out of the Woods, _by Taylor Swift.**

**So, a whole lot of stuff happened, some foreshadowing-oops.**

**Anyway, please fav/follow if you like. And I'd like to thank everyone who's supported my story so far. We are almost at 200 reviews, and we are almost at the half year mark! Time flies fast.**

**Thanks everyone.**

**~CatWhiskers24~**


	41. Chapter 39: Poker Face

**Happy Monday everyone! I hope this update will brighten your day.**

**So, I realize Ghirahim was a bit out of character last chapter. And I agree. But one of the most questionable parts is explained in this chapter. And if this still doesn't convince you, then maybe the Ghirahim in this story is a bit soft. But I kind of expected that since this is a love story and I'm still a novice writer. The Ghirahim in this story is meant to have a side that you don't see in the game. Whatever you may believe, I will admit last chapter was a bit of a stretch. **

**Anyway, don't think I don't value your opinion. I really do value your constructive criticism. It helps me improve my writing and fix things I've overlooked, and for that I am grateful.**

**Enough of my rambling. You came here for the story, not to listen to me babble.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own LoZ. I do own my OCs and alternate storyline.**

* * *

**Marissa's POV**

_That really hurts._

_ Dang that hurts._

_ What happened to my shin?_

_ Did I trip over a soccer ball again?_

I blinked open my eyes, only to flinch at the bright morning light.

"Ugh," I complained. "Who skinned my leg?"

I looked around, still struggling to comprehend my surroundings. It was quiet. Really quiet. I blinked slowly. I felt kind of weird; I felt more...groggy than usual.

"Why is it that when someone gets hurt, its always one of you two?" That was Herb's voice.

I turned around. The demon was sitting on a bed near mine. He looked tired, as if he'd not had much sleep. His dull, careworn eyes were those of someone much older than he.

"I don't know." I winced. "Maybe because you've managed to frighten everyone off. Maybe they are too scared to ask you for help."

"Right," Herb laughed. "Me. Scary. Oh, yes. Absolutely."

I shrugged. "Or maybe Ghirahim and I are just clumsy idiots who have no idea how to take care of ourselves."

Herb smirked. "Now that's a more sensible theory. Let's go with that."

I couldn't fight back a smile.

Herb leaned forward. "So...how do you feel about having two big-ass scars on your legs?"

"Well..." I bit my lip. "I guess I just have to start wearing boots more often. Like...way more often. Either that or wear really long socks with tennis shoes."

"That's probably a good idea." Herb briefly glanced at the pair of blood-stained bandages on my shins. Herb gave me a sympathetic look. "At least you have Ghirahim to blame for looking terrible in shorts."

Then he glanced at my side. I followed his gaze and shifted to get a better view. There was a third bandage over a slightly smaller cut. I'd forgotten about that one. I think a bokoblin must've got me or something. No more bikinis for me. Not that I was the kind of girl who felt more comfortable in one-pieces or anything...

My parents are Christian, okay?

Herb suddenly snapped his fingers, as if remembering something. He reached over to a nearby table separating the beds.

"Speaking of Ghirahim...he left something for you." Herb recalled, holding something towards me: My sword.

"He had it when he brought you in here. Didn't take it with him, though. Said something about you being a 'defenseless liability' without it."

"That sure sounds like him..." I remarked. I carefully took my sword. It still barely looked used. After all, I only ever sparred with Link or Ghirahim. The only times I'd used it for real was when I'd first met Ghirahim, and then yesterday when I'd used it to fight the bokoblins. To be honest, I'd mainly smacked them in the legs or stomach with the hilt. A few times I'd used the flat side of the weapon to knock over an enemy. But I hadn't gone stab-crazy like Ghirahim. I still was disgusted by the prospect of killing anyone.

I continued to stare at the sword, in awe that he'd actually let me have it back. I guess I'd proved that I wasn't planning on hurting him anytime soon. At this point, I still had my iPhone in its Lifeproof case(which was a lifesaver—it was waterproof, shockproof, and would save the phone from damage when it was dropped), my dagger, my knight academy uniform, and now my sword. Sometimes Ghirahim temporarily returned my 'adventure pouch', as they call it, when we left the manor. I mean, all that was really in there was my bottles, my sailcloth, and my first-aid kit. I guess if I got hurt, he didn't see it as any skin off his back if I could save myself. But he was too suspicious to really return it. I guess I might like, poison him with antiseptic or something. Totally likely. Whatever he feared, Ghirahim still always took it back as soon as we returned to the manor.

Besides that, I guess the only thing I still had left was my shield. Ironic.

"Hey. I thought Ghirahim hurt your legs—not your ears!"

Herb's voice jolted me back to the present.

"What?"

Herb rolled his eyes. "I just asked how you felt. You seem kind of out of it today."

"Oh...I'm fine. Just...tired."

Herb nodded. "I suppose we all are. Especially Ghirahim."

I blinked. "Why him?"

Herb stared at me. "You realize how long he stays up researching his...problems."

"Problems?"

"He has to figure out where the Spirit Maiden is going so that he can intercept her. This isn't an easy job, you know. And he will not rest until he's made progress."

I was quiet for a moment. "How long do you think he actually sleeps?"

"I don't know," Herb shrugged. "Four or five hours I suppose. Well, on a good night anyway. I suppose lately it's less, what with the stress from the Rebels added to his duty to Demise. He must feel like researching is much more useful than trying to sleep."

"But..." I blinked. "Don't demons need sleep too?"

"Of course we do," Herb confirmed. "Maybe not as much as humans, but probably not much less, either. But Ghirahim is leader. In his mind, sleep is just a convenience, not a necessity. Many of the naive nobles may desire his position, but if they knew the entirety of what his title requires, they may think twice. I definitely don't envy him."

"But won't Ghirahim be unhealthy without sleep? That can't help." I reasoned.

"You'd think so. But Ghirahim seems to think of himself as indestructible. And I suppose he partially is. Not only does Demise's enchantment prevent him from aging, but it also strengthens Ghirahim's resistance against sickness. It seems to have...reinforced his life force, so to speak. Some things that would kill you Skyloftians would only weaken our kind. But just like it would take more to kill me than it would to kill you, it would take more to end Ghirahim than most demons. He could probably survive more than most. But he's not immortal. And I think he's forgotten that."

"So what you're saying is...Ghirahim seems to think he's indestructible when he's not? Not really, anyway."

"Precisely." Herb nodded. "Though it doesn't make a difference. Every time I've tried to talk some sense into that numskull, he always ignores me. Doesn't know what's good for him."

"Does he ever get sick or anything?" I asked.

"No, not really. But sometimes...if he's really tired, he starts acting...strange." Herb admitted.

"Strange?" I began to sit up, wincing as I swung my legs off the bed.

"Sometimes its small physical problems...like a sudden fever...or a low body temperature. But sometimes—and this is what I'm most concerned about—he seems to have a...what to call it...a mental breakdown. The lack of sleep gets to him, gets to his head. Most of the time it shortens his already minuscule temper. Sometimes it makes him extra skittish. You could just walk into the room and he'll jump. And other times, like yesterday, it makes him extra emotional."

Herb stood up as he spoke, beginning to put various herbs and medicines into nearby cabinets.

"What do you mean?"

Herb turned to face me. "You mean you thought his whole episode, the worry and the...crying...You thought that was real?"

I stared at my feet. "I didn't know what to think. I was confused and _bleeding_. The blood-loss was making me woozy."

"I suppose that makes sense." Herb conceded. "But Ghirahim wouldn't normally just sob over some girl's non-fatal wound. You may have not noticed...but he's a bit...what's the word? _Sadistic_, yes that's it. He's sadistic. Cold. Ruthless. In other words, he wouldn't have felt bad for you unless there was something seriouslywrong with him. So maybe he knows you. Perhaps he didn't enjoy seeing you in pain. But he was already mentally unstable from everything. The panic that came with seeing you, the one person he seems to care the slightest about, injured and bleeding must have been the final blow."

"I see." I said after a while. "He did seem a bit odd yesterday."

"Exactly." Herb folded up the white sheets on a nearby bed. "Now that I've told you all I know, I have another assignment for you."

"And that is?"

Herb smirked. "Do us both a favor and try to take it easy today. Try going for a walk or something. Just...please..not that I'm not _crazy about you_, but try to stay away from here for a day or two."

"Alright." I smiled back. "Thanks for everything, Herb."

Herb rolled his eyes. "Bah. Don't get started with anything sappy, kid. I may gag."

"Okay," I smiled. "I'll try not to."

"You smile too much."

I smiled even wider.

Then I began to walk out the door.

"Oh," Herb called. "And try to get Ghirahim to sleep a little."

"And how am I supposed to do that?"

"I don't know." Herb shrugged. "You'll find a way. But it's important that you do. With all this sleep deprivation...I'm almost worried he'll go insane."

"Insane." I echoed.

"Yes. And that goes for you too, Smiley. I can't have my assistant falling asleep on the job." Herb's tone was light, but I knew he was serious.

"I know." I turned back to the door. As I walked out, I stopped. "Hey Herb?"

"Yes?"

I fought back a devious grin. "I just wanted you to know how much you mean to me. You are like my demonic brother or something. Wuv you, man!"

The slam of the door drowned out the sound of my hysterical laughter.

* * *

As I walked away from the infirmary, I realized I had a problem: I had no idea where I was going.

My problem was short-lived, however, because I soon heard my name. Or, rather, my nickname.

"Sky Child!"

I turned around to see Ghirahim striding towards me.

"What's up?" I chirped, meeting him in the middle.

Ghirahim stared at me in confusion.

"You're up?"

"Yup." I smiled. "A little pain never killed anyone."

Ghirahim blinked. "Er...Right." For once he seemed at a loss for words. "Are you sure you are supposed to be walking with those?" He asked, gesturing to my wounds.

"I'm fine. Herb said I just have to take it easy. Go on a walk or something."

Ghirahim regained his normal unconcerned composure.

"Very well," he conceded calmly. "Where are you headed off to, then? Faron Woods, I assume?"

I nodded. "Yeah, probably."

The demon lord adjusted his cape. "I see. Then I shall accompany you."

"Oh," my cheeks burned. "That won't be necessary. I was kinda hoping that I could have some alone time. Do some meditating, you know?"

Ghirahim frowned. "Be that as it may, it is still my duty as your male companion to protect you."

"_Hold up._" I glared at him. "Male companion? What the hell? First of all, I'm _you're _bodyguard—not the other way around! And really, _male companion?_ That is so sexist! I can take care of myself fine, thanks. Girls aren't helpless. And I can't believe I'm having a conversation like this with _you_ of all people! Again! And may I remind you of the _last _time we tried to fight near each other? Didn't work out too well, did it?" I pointed to my left leg and then the right. "Exhibit A. Exhibit B."

I could tell I was really testing Ghirahim's patience. "I understand that, Sky Child. But there are likely many bokoblins in the forest today. And those not on my side will want to hurt anyone associated with me. That means you now."

I sighed. "I know."

"And you hate fighting," the demon lord added.

"I guess that's true." I mumbled.

"Of course it is. Now come, night shall fall before we know it."

I crossed my arms. "Who says I changed my mind?"

Ghirahim rolled his eyes. "I am trying to be a gentleman, if you haven't noticed. And a gentleman's duty is to protect the lady."

"FINE, you can come." I conceded. "Just...stop with this 'gentleman' thing. It's _really _annoying."

"As you wish." Ghirahim smirked.

"Oh for the love of..." I rolled my eyes. "Let's just go already."

Ghirahim moved towards the door. He pulled it open as I approached.

"Ladies first."

I stared at him. Then, I intentionally stepped on his foot and walked out with some very _ladylike _choice language.

* * *

"So what was with the waterworks back there?" I asked suddenly.

"What?" Ghirahim looked at me in confusion.

We had been fairly silent up until now. I suppose each of us had been occupied by our own personal thoughts. The only thing that had disturbed the silence was the sound of playful birds chirping in the trees. The leaves whispered as a friendly wind blew from the south. Everything was okay. Good even. What had been the purpose to disturb the beautiful quiet? After all, for a while the only thing I really thought about was how nice the bright sunlight felt on my face. I hadn't tried to start a conversation.

Until now.

"Back in the infirmary, when Herb was tending to my cuts, when you kind of...you know." I trailed off.

"Oh. Yeah." Ghirahim subtly looked away. "I don't know. I'm just..."

"Tired?"

"Yes...tired." Ghirahim blinked. "How did you know?"

I stared at the ground. This didn't feel like the greatest time to tell the truth. After all, I didn't want to get Herb into trouble.

"I don't know...I guess...I guess I just got that vibe from you. Like maybe you were just exhausted, and maybe you just broke down from it all."

Silence.

"I mean..." I cleared my throat. "I don't blame you. For breaking down, I mean. It happens to the best of us. And with everything in your life being so stressful and messed up. You're worried about the Rebels, you're a little guilty about not stopping them the other day, you're feeling bitter that your people are betraying you, and at the same time you're scared they're right." I took a deep breath. "You're not sure how to feel about the...the girl you found. You're mad that she betrayed you, but you are still hopeful that she might warm up to you. You hope that maybe...just _maybe_ she might be the friend you've never had. Someone you can trust. And then, with what happened yesterday, you are scared that she might hate you after what happened. And you shouldn't be—she doesn't. Anyway, all of this is on top of your biggest problem: you are stressed out over resurrecting the master who you have mixed feelings about. You know that if you succeed, it probably means certain death for most of the Surface and Sky-dwelling creatures of this land. But you also know that if you don't, you're probably dead. And most of all, you are overwhelmed by all these new sensations, things you've never felt before. You wonder...you wonder when things got so complicated."

As I finished, I realized Ghirahim was staring at me.

"What?"

"You just..." He trailed off. "How did you..."

"It's simple, really." I shrugged. "I just tried walking in your shoes. My friends say I'm pretty good at it. See, if you just take a moment to think like someone else, you may better understand them, understand why they do the things they do. And you're fairly easy to read."

Ghirahim was quiet for a while. Then, he said, "So, this is why it's so hard for you to hurt others? This is why you can't kill to save your own life?"

I nodded numbly. "Yeah. It's just...once you understand a person...once you get why they do things...it's hard to hurt them. Because if you imagine how they'd feel in your position...if you imagine how they feel..." I broke off.

"I see." Ghirahim nodded. "Well, I suppose that makes some sense now. But I have no choice. Besides, I am used to dispatching my foes by now. It's best not to think about it. It's easier if you just don't...feel."

"Is that what you do?"

"What?"

I turned to face him. "Is that what you do? Just don't feel? I mean, I suppose that would make the cruel, sadistic thing make a tiny bit more sense."

Ghirahim shook his head. "I feel. I just suppress it. I let it go numb. That's what Demise told me. All pain, physical or mental, is better when numbed. You just...push it down. And if it tries to resurface itself, you just hide it."

"Hide it, you say. So, how does that work out for you?"

"Good, usually." Ghirahim answered. Then he glanced at me. "Well...usually."

"Well, I do have a lot of practice." I admitted.

"How old are you?" Ghirahim blurted out.

"A gentleman mustn't ask a lady her age. It's impolite." I countered flawlessly, attempting to use a rich European accent.

"Hmph." Ghirahim chuckled. "Why is it that you are only a 'lady' when it conveniences you?"

I shrugged. "Why is it you only _consider_ me a 'lady' when it conveniences you?"

Ghirahim laughed a little. "Fair enough. But still...would you consider telling me?"

"Hmm..." I shrugged. "If you give me my stuff back. All of it."

"Tempting." Ghirahim hesitated. "How about this: I ask you five questions. If you answer them all truthfully, I may consider returning _some _of your remaining belongings."

I considered the offer. I really wanted my stuff.

"Fine. Five questions." He won't know if I lie, anyway. He never does.

"How old are you?"

"Fifteen. Soon to be Sixteen. Next." That was just my age. I mean, why would it matter anyway?

"What's your real name?"

Uh-oh. That's more of a problem.

"Ocean."

"What's your _real _name?"

"Waffles. And those both count. Two left."

Ghirahim sighed in exasperation.

"What do you know about this...Zelda?"

"There's a Z in her name."

"Seriously."

"There's an E in there too."

"What do you think of Malice?"

"He's a good friend." Now that was truthful.

"About Herb?"

"Smart. Blunt. Sarcastic. Could be my demon twin." Again, very true.

"About me?"

"You could really use a nice tan. You ever heard of bronzer?"

"Moving on..." Ghirahim scowled. "Where do you really come from?"

"Well..." I smirked. "When a mommy human and daddy human love each other—"

"We are getting nowhere." Ghirahim sighed.

"I never lied." I countered. "And I'm pretty sure you asked way more than five questions."

Ghirahim raised an eyebrow. "So your name really is...Waffles?"

"What do you think?" I said dryly.

"Alright, Waffles. Point taken."

I frowned. "You know I was kidding, right?"

"Of course I do, Waffles."

"Shut up, Graham."

I smiled, and he smiled back.

"You know I'm not actually going to give you your stuff back, don't you?"

"I know." I smiled. "I just thought I'd humor you."

We were quiet for a while. Then, once again, I broke the silence.

"What's it like, being almost immortal?"

"Well..." Ghirahim sighed. "It's...strange. I'm the ruler of so many, and yet it's like I live in a separate world. I watch all my acquaintances grow, I watch them find their place, start a family, grow old...die. And I never have to worry about the burdens of aging. I never have to think about my body growing weak. I will stay young and strong. Forever."

"It sounds lonely." I stated.

Ghirahim stared at me.

"How so?"

I shrugged. "For humans...life is short. Usually a healthy human can live a hundred years max. But that's what makes life worth it. Life is hard. But its easier to face together. Seems pretty boring and pointless if you don't have anyone to live it with. You may have a longer life...but will it be as happy as a normal mortal's? To me, mortality makes life worth it. It makes life special. I wouldn't want to live forever.

Ghirahim stared at the ground for a while. "So you're saying you..._like _being mortal?"

I folded my arms. "I guess I am." I sighed. "I mean, they say all good things must come to an end. So if your life doesn't end...then how good can it really be?"

Ghirahim continued to stare. "I never thought of it that way." He cleared his throat. "You know, when I first met you, I never thought you were this...considerate. I mean, I never thought one so young could think so deeply—so much like an adult."

I smiled. "And I never thought someone like you would cry over hurting a teenage girl."

Ghirahim scowled. "I'm never going to live that down, am I?"

I just kept smiling.

"You know I wasn't actually...I mean I don't show my emotions like you do."

"I know. You hide them."

Ghirahim nodded. "It's really quite amusing, fooling others over how you really feel. Like, for instance, acting angry when you are peaceful. Or, perhaps, acting peaceful before your strike."

"Confusing to me, though. I already struggle to understand guys. How am is supposed to figure you out?"

"You're not." Ghirahim countered. That's the point. And at least I show _some _emotion. Fi, the spirit of the hero's sword, shows no emotion at all."

"Right. So basically, she shows no emotion, and you show every emotion except the one you are actually feeling?" I summarized dryly.

"Precisely."

"At least I just try not to get emotional. And if I do, then I show it. I'm an open book." I hesitated. "Well...usually."

"Right." Ghirahim furrowed his brow.

I quickly changed the subject. "So...you know Fi well?"

"You could say that. And it's pronounced like _Fi _not _Fee_."

"Oh." I shrugged. "Who knew? How did you two meet, anyway?"

Ghirahim sighed. "If you must know, Fi and I know each other because—"

Ghirahim's sentence was cut off by the sound of a growl. We turned around, and I gasped. We were surrounded by a whole swarm of bokoblins.

Almost every creature had some sort of weapon, and the rest each had a rock or such. Every one of their faces was contorted in a hostile glare or snarl.

Ghirahim surveyed them quickly before turning back to me. His dark gaze met mine for just a moment. Then he breathed one word out of the corner of his mouth—

"_Run._"

* * *

**And scene!**

**We broke 200 reviews everyone! Yay! Have some cookies and pies! (::) (::) (#) (#) **

**I'm not exaggerating when I tell you getting a review or a fav/follow makes my day. I value every single one. You guys are the best. 300 is up next. Sheesh, we're not even a third done yet. I'm excited.**

**Well, that's about it.**

**May the Fourth be with you...**

**;)**

**~Catwhiskers24~ **


	42. Chapter 40: The Cave of Fright

**Happy Mother's day! Okay, granted that probably doesn't apply to most of you...but oh well. Another day, another chapter. I'm going to keep this author's not short so...yeah.**

* * *

**Marissa's POV**

"What?" I slowly looked at Ghirahim.

"Run, you fool!" Ghirahim shouted.

I froze. There was no way I was leaving Ghirahim to deal with all these monsters. What if he got hurt? I had to protect him. It was my job as his Defender, and as his companion.

"Go!" Ghirahim insisted.

I ignored him. _I must be insane._

I drew my sword and moved closer, standing at his side. I stared at the enemies in defiance.

Somewhere between two to three dozen monsters glared back at me. Some were salivating like animals. Like they were hungry, hungry for blood. Hate glittered in dark eyes; they looked almost beast-like.

"What are you doing?" Ghirahim hissed.

"I'm going to help you fight." I responded. My hands shook a little as I clutched my sword. My palms were sweaty, and the hilt felt odd against my skin.

Ghirahim opened his mouth to respond. But a bokoblin beat him to it.

The green, heavily armed creature stepped forward. I wondered if it was the same one from that day at the barracks or a different one entirely. It regarded me with cold, beady black eyes.

"Move aside," it growled. "He's the one we want."

Okay, so he was definitely as fluent as the other bokoblin. His voice wasn't exactly mellifluous, but it was much more smooth than the guttural grunts the others use as communication.

"No," I snapped, successfully keeping a majority of the nervousness out of my voice.

"Oh?" The bokoblin blinked. "You would protect this despicable being? Even when he's condemned so many innocent men, women, and children, just to spare his own skin? You are making a grave mistake, girl."

"Maybe." I shrugged. "And yeah, you're right. Ghirahim's a jerk. But if you want to get to this jerk..." I stood in front of Ghirahim. "then you're gonna have to go through an idiot first."

The monsters' leader flared his nostrils in scorn. "Well, if you insist."

Without warning, the monsters surged forward. I gasped and dodged a sword aimed at my jugular. I saw Ghirahim jerk to the left out of the corner of my eye.

"What are you waiting for? Run!" He snapped.

"No!' I narrowly avoided a ragged beheading. "I'm not a coward! I can handle myself!"

Ghirahim huffed in annoyance, swinging his rapier at one of the approaching monsters. The creature's body hit the forest floor with a _thud. _It's chest rose once and then it was still.

"There's too many of them!" I shouted. It was true. But in all honesty, I think I've always wanted to say that. It made me feel like the hero in a book or something.

Ghirahim sent an arc of glowing knives at a clump of nearby bokoblins. Three fell to the ground, dead.

"I can handle this!" The demon lord shouted. "Just go!"

"But—"

Ghirahim sent a knife towards me, stopping it inches from my neck. I swallowed. He wasn't playing games.

"_Go,_" he commanded, his voice more forcible this time.

"Ugh!" I groaned "Why are you so..._impossible_?"

"I don't know, maybe..." Ghirahim shrugged between swipes of his sword. "Maybe I was just..._born _this way."

I sighed briefly, and then I turned to leave. Then I chuckled softly.

"Hey Ghirahim? Have I ever told you how much you remind me of Lady Gaga?"

"What?" Ghirahim looked up briefly, avoiding a hip-check from a rather large bokoblin.

"Nevermind. I was just—"

"GO!"

A bokoblin lept towards me, and then I was running. I was running, running for my life.

I shouldn't look back. I knew I really shouldn't look back. And yet, what did I do?

I looked back.

And what I saw made me freeze in place. One of the bokoblins, the green one, had broken off from the rest of the group, and he was slowly inching towards Ghirahim, sword in hand.

I considered calling out to Ghirahim, warning him, so that he wouldn't be, quite literally, stabbed in the back. But I also knew that would probably do more harm than good. He'd probably get distracted rather than be warned. He might not realize what I was trying to say before it was too late. And yet, I was worried I couldn't act fast enough. I decided to do a rash combination of both.

"Ghirahim!" I selected a large rock from the forest floor. "On your six!"

Ghirahim's gaze snapped towards me, and in that instant, as the bokoblin advanced his strike, I executed mine. He raised his rusty sword, but my stone struck first, hitting his leg with a morbidly satisfying _crunch._ The bokoblin fell to the forest floor and didn't get up again.

Ghirahim glanced at me, and then at the bokoblin. A look of realization passed across his face. Then another bokoblin moved towards him. Ghirahim brought back an arm and elbowed it in the ribs with bone-snapping force.

Just as the battle seemed to be going in his favor, several monsters attacked at once, and he disappeared in a tangle of flailing limbs. Horror overwhelmed me. The next thing I knew, several bokoblins were racing in my direction. And, to make matters worse, a few lizolfos were leading the way. They were rapidly gaining on me.

Suddenly, Ghirahim's head appeared from the pile of bokoblins. "Go!" he shouted one last time. "I will find you!"

Then I was running again, my legs seeming to carry me on their own accord. I could hear the bokoblins following close behind, feel their breath on my neck, smell their foul stench.

I dashed off the path, crashing through brambles and thorns and every other bush and weed known to man or woman. Branches cut across my face and I could taste blood. I heard a shriek and the ground shook as one of my adversaries tripped and fell. I almost did the same as a root wrapped around my foot. But I caught my balance and carried on.

I wondered if now the breathing I was hearing was of the bokoblins, or if it was my own. My heartbeat was so loud they could probably hear it.

It was like playing tag all over again. Familiar terror and adrenaline pulsed through my veins, made me sweat, made my eyes grow wild. But it wasn't just that simulated terror that you felt from running from the tagger. It was all new. I began to stagger and gasp, like I always did after running away. The excitement always had been enough for me to scream or laugh. At a time like this, I would usually fall over, just so I looked ridiculous. Maybe I'd call a timeout or maybe I wouldn't. Maybe I would just except my fate as tagger.

Today, however, there were no timeouts. There were no do-overs, no lets, no laugh breaks. Accepting my fate meant death, and there was too much on the line for me to die quite yet. And I would not, I repeat _not_, die from BOKOBLINS of all things. Preposterous. If I'm going to die, it's not going to be such a pathetic death.

I was making a noise that was somewhere between a gasp, a scream, a sob, and a nervous laugh. Sweat poured down my neck, and I knew I couldn't keep this up much longer.

That's when I saw it: a cave. Normally, my first idea wouldn't be to take refuge in a cave, but at this point I was afraid I had no choice.

I changed my course so that I was running straight at the gaping mouth. I could see the tunnels leading a ways back, and I could just barely see the outline of a hanging stalactite, which seemed to take the form of a giant uvula.

The lizolfos were right at my heels, the bokoblins trailing a few feet behind.

_Persistent fellows, _I thought bitterly. I cut the branch of a tree as I passed it, and a hiss told me I got one.

Ten yards away. I was going to make it.

_Swish_, the sword barely missed my ear.

Five yards now. I could manage five yards.

A bokoblin tried to trip me, but I managed to recover alright.

Three feet. Just a few more steps.

I could barely breath. My side felt like a dagger had been shoved through it, and I hoped that it was just the buildup of lactic acid—not a real wound that had been unnoticeable because of excessive adrenaline.

Finally I was swallowed by the darkness, and suddenly, the only footsteps I could hear were my own. I turned around. The remaining monsters glared back, but they stayed away from the entrance of the cave.

"What?" I smiled despite my lingering terror. "Afraid of a little darkness, are you?"

The bokoblins growled and gave me venomous stares, but they made no move forward. Eventually, they took one last look at me before turning back into the woods and sauntering away.

"Chickens!" I shouted. "Er, I mean...Cucoos!"

They turned around. The lead bokoblin drew its sword. The lizolfos licked its lips. Then they all surged back towards me at once. Cave or no cave, they wanted _blood._

"Uh-oh. Probably shouldn't have done that." I muttered.

I ran farther into the cave. Soon, the only thing I could see was darkness. Darkness as far as the eye could see. While I wasn't nearly scared of the dark, I could feel my nervousness spike. There could be anything in here with me. Anything.

Why did those bokoblins seem so scared to go in here anyway? What was it about this cave?

That's when it struck me: I shouldn't be here. It must be dangerous. Of course, I had no way of knowing why it was so dangerous, but I could take a hint. All my instincts and every bit of my conscience and gut were screaming at me to get out of here.

And yet...the bokoblins could just be waiting for me. They could be playing tricks with me, tricks with my mind. I really doubted that was true. I mean, there was no way these bokoblins were smart enough to pull off something like that. And yet...there was a tiny piece of my mind that believed it could be true.

So, despite the red flags and drabness of the cave, I carried on into the darkness. Every muscle in my body was tensed. A new wave of adrenaline coursed through my veins. Every sense was intensified. I could smell the mold and mildew, I could hear the _drip drip _of moisture falling from mineral deposits hanging from the ceiling. I could even taste the stench of the cave.

My heart lept as I heard something in the near-silence. It was like a flutter, and then a click. Was there something supernatural waiting for me?

No. I was being ridiculous. It was clearly just my overactive imagination.

Still, I quickened my pace. I let my mind drift to a happy place. What to think of..? Music? Reading? That day at school with my old friends, all those months ago?

I hummed quietly to myself. I realized after mentioning Lady Gaga to Ghirahim, that one of her songs was stung in my head. Surprisingly enough, it wasn't even the one his comment had reminded me of. It was an entirely one entirely.

"Rah-rah-ah-ah-ah-ah...Roma-roma-mamaa...Ga-ga-ooh-la-la...want your bad romance..." I muttered quietly.

"Rah-rah..."

Then I heard it—a thud, like a footstep. It sounded as if someone was running in my direction!

Terror coursed through me and I flat out ran. I paid no attention to the twists and turns; I just tried to avoid running into a wall. _Faster...Faster..._

_ "Rah...rah..." _My voice echoed through the cave. "_Want your bad romance..."_

The footsteps drew ever closer. They sounded uneven, as if whoever was in here with me was injured...or wasn't human. Images flashed through my mind of all the vicious, insect-like aliens I'd seen in movies. Were there aliens in this dimension?

My heart felt as though it were attempting to beat a hole through my chest. I knew I had to calm down, but I couldn't fight back the overwhelming terror rising in my throat, seeming to be about to burst out in a scream. Then the footsteps turned into a run.

"AHHHHHH!"

I took a sharp left down a side tunnel and the footsteps seemed to cut off. Then they grew more distant. I allowed myself a silent sigh of relief.

I continued to walk, but I soon ran into a new problem—I was lost.

I hadn't paid attention to the way I'd ran, so I had no idea to get back. A new type of panic seized me. I couldn't escape! I was stuck in here with that...that _thing_! Who knows what that was. All the crazy stuff I'd seen on the internet was making my imagination go wild. It could be anything. And if I knew one thing, it was that I really _did not _want to see it. Even though...I suppose...that may not be a problem in my situation. I was practically blind.

Luckily, when I wasn't in as direct danger as being attacked, I could usually keep my head in this type of situation. I slowed my breathing as I formulated a plan.

I'd just keep walking. I was bound to find something eventually...even if it was a dead end. I just had to keep moving. Just...focus on walking. And if I did run into anyone or anything, I had to believe that I would be okay. Even if it was a bokoblin...or a redead...or a dead hand or giant spider or...something else. Is it possible anything fictional could be here? After all that had happened, I wouldn't be entirely surprised if I ran into something from some other work, like Harry Potter. But if I did run into a...Dementor or something...

Well, that would be enough to make me soil my newly cleaned uniform.

I shivered just thinking about them. Their cloaked faces...their ragged breathing...the feeling of cold they gave off...their freezing, clammy skin...

I read _way _too much.

It may have been my imagination but I thought the cave had just become way more silent and...and I was _freezing!_ Was it getting colder by the second? I began to speed up, nearly tripping on my own feet.

That's when a cold hand with an odd texture grabbed my arm.

"BLOODY MURDER!"I screamed. Yes, a nice, loud scream.

"Goddesses above, Sky Child. Keep your voice down."

I almost sobbed with relief as I heard the familiar voice.

"Damnit Ghirahim, don't sneak up on me like that!" I snapped.

"I wouldn't have had to if you hadn't kept running away like that. I couldn't get to you before you ran in the other direction. What did you think I was?"

"Um...a dementor." I mumbled.

"A _what_?"

"Nevermind," I sighed. "It was silly."

"Why am I not surprised?" Ghirahim muttered dryly.

I was too relieved to be annoyed by his comment. I never thought I would say this, but I was happy to see him. Or...hear him rather.

"How do we get out of here?" I asked.

Ghirahim let out a sigh of frustration. "I was hoping you knew."

"Well...then can you warp us out?"

Ghirahim sighed again. "No. I used too much energy in battle."

"Ugh!" I rolled my eyes. "Why don't you ever have enough energy to escape? Plan ahead much?"

"Telekinesis—the magic I use to levitate knives—takes a great deal of energy. I don't always realize how tired I am until after the battle. And even then, I can usually make it back to the manor. It's just, now that you are constantly in danger as well, I forget to save enough strength to teleport us both."

I hated to admit it, but that made sense. Besides, I couldn't stay too mad at him considering I was the reason he couldn't use magic to escape.

"Alright." I groaned.

"To be fair, you have magic as well." Ghirahim pointed out. "And yet you never warp us back."

"Yeah, well that's 'cause I don't know how!"

"Fair enough," he sniffed.

I took a deep breath. "Well...the important thing is that we found each other."

"What?" There was amusement in Ghirahim's voice. "My Remlit, are you afraid of being alone?"

"No!" I said quickly. "I just mean...at least we're stuck in this mess together."

I knew it probably sounded ridiculous to him as I said it, but I meant it. There's something about being lost while alone that was so much more terrifying than when you're in a group. Even though neither of us knew how to escape this cavern, something about having Ghirahim with me seemed to eliminate the sheer terror I'd felt a few moments earlier. Of course, I wouldn't tell him how relieved I was to be in his presence. His head was already big enough.

"Let's try to retrace our steps." I suggested.

"And how are we supposed to do that when you have no idea where you _turned_?" Ghirahim snapped.

I flinched. He was irritated. I could tell that much.

"Well...um..." I cleared my throat. "It's this way. I can feel it."

"You can _feel it_." Ghirahim mimicked skeptically.

"Yeah."

"Whatever you say. Lead on, O' Great Leader." Ghirahim deadpanned.

"Okay. Follow me." I began leading the way back. I tried to seem like I knew where I was going, but I really had no clue. I just took random turns, meandering about the different routes.

I noticed that the uneven sound of footsteps earlier must have belonged to Ghirahim, because it sounded as if he was limping.

"You okay, Ghirahim?" I asked, feeling worry flare up in my chest.

"I'm fine." The demon lord mumbled. "Just...tired."

"Sounds like you're limping."

"I said I'm _fine. _Mind your own business, will you?" Ghirahim insisted sharply.

I flinched once again at his sudden hostility. For a second I wondered, if it was because he was _scared_. Maybe he was.

"We're going to be fine." I promised quietly.

"Hmph."

"I mean, there's no reason to be afraid. It's just a cave, isn't it?"

Ghirahim was silent for a moment. Then, he said, "There's a reason those monsters didn't follow us in here."

I swallowed nervously. "Why?"

"I pray you never find out." Ghirahim muttered in a low voice.

We continued on. Ghirahim provided his sarcastic comments at first, but then he grew silent. That was strange. He always seemed to have something to say.

I stopped. The sound of footsteps stopped as I did.

"Ghirahim?"

No answer.

"Ghirahim?"

I looked around frantically. I could only see the outline of the cave wall. I was alone once again.

I heard a _thud, _like something fell down, and then a groan.

"Ghirahim? Are you alright?"

Silence.

I sped in the direction of the sound. We got separated, that was obvious. But what was the thud? Was there really something else in hear like I thought? Did it get Ghirahim?"

Then there were pounding footsteps seeming to be coming from all around me. I bolted forward, still calling his name.

"GHIR—" I broke off as I crashed into something solid. I heard someone curse.

"Watch it!" Ghirahim snapped. "I already tripped on a blasted stalagmite. I don't need to fall a second time."

"What happened?" I asked.

"We must have taken different turns at the last break in the tunnel. Then, when I turned around, I tripped and fell."

"You okay?"

"Wow," Ghirahim chuckled. "You must be very scared if you are worried about my well-being."

"Yeah, well..." I sighed. "Let's just stick together, okay?"

"Very well," Ghirahim chuckled. "You may hold my hand if you wish."

I was glad the darkness shielded my face, for I knew my face was probably as red as a tomato.

"I'm good." I squeaked.

"Are you sure? It may make things easier, since you can't see me in all my brilliance."

"Ugh, I'm gonna die with an idiot!" I groaned.

"I thought you said we weren't going to die." Ghirahim pointed out.

"Shut up Diamondback."

"And that's an insult?"

I rolled my eyes. Then, since it was dark, I said aloud, "I just rolled my eyes at you."

"Yes," Ghirahim began. "And I can tell you are also considering my offer. You don't want to be separated again, do you?"

I was quiet for a while. Then I sighed in defeat. Without another word, I took his arm. Not his hand, but his forearm.

Ghirahim chuckled. "Now, now there girl. Don't get too grabby."

I ignored his comment. "Now, if we could just get a little light..."

"Sorry," Ghirahim said. "I'm fresh out of magic."

"Fine." I removed my phone from my boot and turned on the flashlight app.

"What's that?" Ghirahim asked in surprise.

_Oh crap._

"Oh...I'm just...using magic. I can make light with my hands." I lied.

"Then use both hands. That's too dim."

I swallowed. "Um...I'm too weak to use them both."

"Hmm." He didn't sound convinced. Either way, he dropped the subject as we continued forward.

I clutched Ghirahim's wrist tightly. After a few minutes, something wet touched my finger.

"What the..." I traced my finger up the trail of liquid. A sharp metallic smell filled the air.

"Ghirahim! You're bleeding!" I gasped.

"I know." He winced as my fingertips found the wound—a ragged tear in his shoulder. "I told you: I'm fine."

"But—" My protest turned into more of a squeak as I tripped over an uneven patch on the ground.

"Focus on walking, will you?" Ghirahim said irritably.

"Sorry."

I held up my makeshift flashlight. Luckily, it was in my left hand, so it was too far for him to see the outline of my device.

"This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine..." I sang quietly. Ghirahim's arm seemed to relax a bit.

"That a song from your world?"

"Yup." I confirmed.

"How fitting." He mused.

Normally, I wouldn't even try to actually sing in front of someone else, but I was quiet and I was too nervous to care. It seemed my song was taking my mind off my worry.

We walked a long time after that. Eventually, we came to a large cavern.

"What the..." I looked up and gasped. Ghirahim's gloved hand clamped over my mouth.

On the ceiling, covering every inch of the stone, were hundreds of pesky monsters that were everywhere in the game—Keese.

The bat-like creatures were sound asleep. They were slightly smaller than a cat, and the talons on the ends of their wings looked deadly.

I closed my flashlight app as quietly as I could.

I took deep breaths, staring at the ceiling. Ghirahim's glove, which smelled like cotton candy, by the way—

Wait, that's irrelevant.

Ghirahim's glove remained cupped over my mouth. I could feel the contour of his joints and bones against my cheeks and chin. His hands were shaking.

"_Shh..." _He said quietly.

We stood there, silent and frozen for a long time. Then the unthinkable happened.

A drip of Ghirahim's blood hit the cave floor.

No, it made almost no noise. But it's sharp stench filled the cave. A thousand pairs of yellow eyes opened, and then a thousand more. We all stared at each other for a while—four eyes on four thousand.

Ghirahim cursed. And then a vortex that seemed to be from Hell itself bore down upon us. Earsplitting chatter and screeches filled the air as the keese soared towards us. I screamed and dropped to the ground, my hands over my neck. Ghirahim wrapped his arms around me and we huddled near the floor, terrified.

Claws grazed my exposed skin and I squeezed my eyes shut.

_Make it stop...Make it stop..._

To my relief, the keese seemed more interested in escaping the cavern than hurting us. Soon, the rush of wind stopped and the chatter began distant. Ghirahim and I remained on the ground, still holding each other. Eventually, we broke apart.

I looked around. The cavern was huge. Several dozen tunnels fed into it, and a small river flowed through the center.

As I scanned the room, I noticed a tunnel with more light than the others,

"Ghirahim! That way!" I exclaimed.

I led the way to the opening, hearing him running behind me.

"We're going to make it!" I shouted.

Ghirahim cursed. I turned around. Several dozen flaming keese were heading straight at us. And they didn't look happy.

Then I realized there were more than several dozen. Yes, more like a hundred.

"HOLY SHIT!" I screamed.

I ran faster than I'd ever ran before, my lungs straining to get enough air.

I turned around again. The keese were gaining on us, their purple eyes fixed on the skin on the back of my neck.

"NOPE, NOPE, NOPE." I was hysterical.

After what seemed like forever, I tripped and tumbled forward, into sunlight. Ghirahim followed close behind. Thankfully, the keese chose not to follow us out. We were safe.

I got up and bent over, breathing hard. Ghirahim did the same.

We stood like that for a while. Then we straightened up and exchanged a look. I raised an eyebrow and Ghirahim blinked.

"Let's never do that again."

"Agreed."

We stood silently for a moment longer, and then we laughed. We laughed hysterically, and we didn't stop. Not for a long time.

* * *

**Yup. **

**So, there's the next chapter. Thank you once more for all the reviews. You've made me a lucky Cat! Please, keep it up. Follows/favs/reviews keep me so inspired!**

**The song I mentioned in text (Besides Born This Way) was Bad Romance, also by Lady GaGa. **

**That's about all, folks. Hug your mother or something. Until next time!**

**~CatWhiskers24~**


	43. Chapter 41: Falling For the Forest

**Hi guys! It's me again! Time for your update!**

**I realized that I forgot to do a disclaimer last chapter, so I'll underline it or something this time to make up for it.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own LOZ, just my OC's and alternate story line.**

* * *

**Marissa's POV**

"So let me this straight," I laughed, dusting off my tattered knight uniform. "That cave, the one the monsters were so terrified about entering...is filled with _keese?_ They're the big danger? The big scare?"

"Among other things, yes." Ghirahim confirmed. The noble attempted to straighten out his mantle, frowning at the smears of dirt in its crimson folds. "The caverns reach deep into the heart of this land. No one knows how far, though."

"Right..." I doubled over laughing once again, this time more from embarrassment. "_Ohhh_ _Keese. So_ scary. What are they gonna do? Fly into our hair?"

"You seemed terrified enough. I seem to recall you hugging me pretty tight in there." Ghirahim teased.

"Oh, shut up. Like _you _have the heart of a lion." I retorted, poking him in the chest.

"Of course I do." Then he hesitated. "Whatever a 'lion' is, anyway."

"So that's why you wanted me to hold your hand."

Ghirahim lowered his gaze. "I thought it would help you stay calm."

"Right."

Ghirahim rolled his eyes, but he didn't say anything more. We started down the trail. The two of us continued to chuckle now and then at our fright as our shared adrenaline wore off.

"Remind me to never take you to a haunted house." I teased, giving him a sly grin.

"Haunted house?"

"Er..." I giggled nervously. "Nothing."

Ghirahim blinked at me. "You really are strange, Sky Child."

I raised my eyebrows. "It took you this long to notice? And you think _I'm _dense_._"

Ghirahim drew a hand over his eyes. "I never said you were _dense._ I merely observed that you were..."

"Dim? Foolish? Oh! OH! Idiotic!" I gave him a wry smile.

The demon shrugged. "I suppose that just about sums it up."  
I sighed. "You can't go twenty minutes without insulting me, can you?"

"It would be a challenge," he agreed.

"I have faith in you." I breathed dramatically, resting a hand on his shoulder. Ghirahim immediately flinched away. I looked at my hand, which was now covered in blood, and I remembered my discovery in the cave.

"You're hurt."

"I'm fine." Ghirahim said, his voice suddenly very low.

"That's a lot of blood...Are you sure?" I blinked at him in concern.

Ghirahim managed a small smirk, patting me on the head. "Ah, My Remlit. You have much better things to worry about than my minor bodily wounds."

"Yeah but..." I trailed off.

"I'm _fine_." Ghirahim insisted. He sped up, quickly passing me.

"Okay, okay." I raised my hands in resignation. "Whatever you say, man. But if you bleed out, don't say I didn't warn you."

I noticed he was favoring his left leg, and I decided to persist.

"We should really stop."

"No."

A smile crossed my face. This seemed familiar somehow.

"Are we there yet?" I whined.

Ghirahim froze. "What did you just say?"

"Are we there yet?" I came to stand next to him. "You remember, don't you? That day when all this...this...whatever this is...began."

Ghirahim smiled a little. "That day. How strange it is, remembering it now."

"Yup. The bokoblins...the fight." I stared off, past the trees, with a pleasant smile. "I kicked your butt."

"That's not how I remember it." Ghirahim argued. "I believe I spared your life, being the gentleman I am."

"Sure. _That's _what happened." I elbowed him. "You know, when I first met you, I despised you. I thought you were a pompous, perverted ass. I couldn't stand you."

"And I thought you were annoying."

I stared at the ground. "After all this time, I've realized...you _are _a pompous, perverted ass. But I can stand you. Sometimes."

"And I still think you're annoying." Ghirahim stated.

"Shut up!" I laughed. I nearly punched his shoulder as a playful taunt, but I remembered at the last second how bad of an idea that would be.

"Remember when I tricked you into drinking that red potion?"

"I don't seem to recall that." Ghirahim mumbled.

"_Right..._"

We walked silently along a small stream for a long time, side-by-side. But after my arm brushed his for a second time, and my skin was covered with blood, I decided I'd had enough.

I pointed to a nearby log near the bank of the stream. "Sit."

"What?"

I rolled my eyes. "I'm going to dress your wound. I've got a first-aid kit in my bag."

Ghirahim blinked. "That won't be necessary."

"Yeah, well it is for me. Now sit down before I make you."

The demon lord glanced at me, amusement on his face. "Are you _threatening _me, Sky Child?"

"Yup."

Ghirahim held my stare for a few long moments. Then he chuckled quietly.

"You know, I changed my mind. I should reward you for that threat, as pathetic as it is." He sat down.

"Well...okay then." I crouched next to him and unzipped my adventure pouch. I removed a roll of bandages and a small bottle of antiseptic.

"What is that...substance?" Ghirahim frowned. "And where are your other supplies? The herbs and so forth, where are they?"

"Don't need 'em. We've got this antiseptic. It's a special substance developed where I come from. It'll get the job done."

Ghirahim gave me a skeptical look. "Should I be afraid?"

I didn't answer—just gave him an impish smirk.

Ghirahim reluctantly let me remove his mantle, and then I cleaned his wound with a patch of gauze moistened by the stream. He winced as the rag touched his ragged skin.

"Sorry," I sympathized. After I cleaned the area of skin that I could see, I tried to tear away the cloth surrounding the wound. Ghirahim stiffened.

"Don't."

"Why?" I continued to tear away the cloth touching the gash. "I'm sure you have more of these...things. You wear them every day. And don't even try about modesty. We both know you like to—"

"Yes but I..." Ghirahim trailed off, not having a logical reason for me to stop. So he stayed silent, though his face seemed to lose its color.. I didn't understand what was making him so uncomfortable, but it made sense in a few seconds. As I continued to pull away the fabric touching his wound, I ended up starting to uncover the back of his shoulder. And just barely visible was the end of a rugged, faded scar. I said nothing, freezing as I remembered the vision Hylia had sent me. I wondered just how prominent the scars from his whipping were. Did they cross his back like they had in the flashback?

Ghirahim was rigid, his face frozen in an unreadable expression. He must know I could see it. I opened my mouth, debating on whether or not to say anything.

"I'm not going to tell you anything about that..._disfigurement_...so you needn't ask."

"I know." My face flushed as I stared at the exposed skin. "I wasn't going to ask."

Ghirahim tried to move away, but I held him down with my free hand.

"You can trust me. I won't invade on your privacy. After all..." Herb's words echoed in my mind. "We all have our secrets."

"We do indeed." Ghirahim mused. "Some, however, more than others."

I didn't have to think too hard to get what he meant by that.

My thumb glanced against the white, ragged tissue crawling over his shoulder, and he shuddered.

"Sorry!" I exclaimed, alarmed. "Does it...hurt?"

"No..." Ghirahim didn't meet my gaze. "It just feels...strange."

I finally finished cleaning off a majority of the blood. After I applied a bit of antiseptic to the gauze, I moved closer to him. I noticed he shifted away a little.

"Hold still," I ordered. I grabbed hold of his arm, scanning his shoulder for the wound. When I went to apply it, I hesitated. "Now, this may sting a little."

"How pleasant."

I barely touched the gauze to his shoulder when he yelped in pain.

"Dammit girl, that's _excruciating_._" _Ghirahim snapped crossly, cringing.

"Well its going to hurt a lot more if it gets infected," I retorted. "So stop your whining, put on your big girl pants, and take it like a man!"

Ghirahim glared at me. "I find your sympathy encouraging."

I bit my lip. "Sorry. I know it hurts. I'm just trying to help."

"I know."

The gentle wind blew my hair into my face. Irritated, I took a moment to tie back the mousy locks into a ponytail. Ghirahim held still long enough for me to finish cleaning the wound with the disinfectant. Then I wrapped his shoulder in a bandage.

"There." I stood back. "How does it feel?"

Ghirahim rotated his shoulder. "Like its on fire. But I'll admit, it's better."

I smiled "Great. 'Cause now we're halfway done."

I bent down to start the same process with the raw wound in his leg.

* * *

**Ghirahim's POV**

After the girl was satisfied with her work, we continued the walk. While my injuries still stung, they felt somewhat better, as the bandages were staunching the bleeding to some extent.

The girl's gaze flitted around the trees, taking in every shadow, every twig, and every vibrant color of the forest. Her blue eyes were round and wide, making her look like an excited child.

As if to prove my thought, she began to hoist herself up a tree, climbing it with the same glee as any kid from the villages. It occurred to me how young she really was. Fifteen...and yet, she already had more experience than many people in the sky would ever dream of getting. And it was because of me.

I watched as she threw a leg over a low branch and pulled herself up.

"Come up! It's not that high!" The girl encouraged.

"I'm fine down here." I called.

"Come on..."

I sighed in resignation, too exhausted to argue. But instead of climbing the tree like she did, I used my returning magic to appear on the limb next to her. The girl jumped briefly, but she smiled anyway. She really does smile a lot.

"Hullo," she purred.

"Greetings." I watched as she straddled the tree, her legs hanging down like the keese in the cavern. I sat near her.

The girl seemed to be at a loss of words for a spell. Then she said something I didn't expect.

"Look...Ghirahim...what happened back there, with the bokoblins. I just wanted to say...thanks. It was really brave of you to take on all those bokoblins so I could escape."

I smiled weakly. "Forget about it; I insist. You did save my life as well. Multiple times, actually."

"Well..." she blushed a deep shade of red. "It's kinda my job as your De—bodyguard. I agreed to keep you safe. And that's what I'm going to do."

"Not at the lake. You weren't my guard then. Not yet. And you still saved me."

The servant lowered her head in embarrassment. "I don't know, I guess..." she started to quietly braid a loose lock of her brown hair that had come free of the elastic band. I noticed she often did that when we talked like this. Nervous habit, I suppose.

_I make her nervous? _It seemed strange, how she was more nervous and shy around me now that we were on better terms. She had been so feisty before. I thought the change was strangely...amusing.

She managed to tuck the stray ends back into the band.

"Hate it when that happens," she muttered.

"What?"

"Oh," she shook her head. "Nothing. Just a little pet peeve of mine?"

"What is?

She laughed. "I just can't stand having my hair in my face. It's maddening. I don't see how anyone could..."

I blinked at her, raising the hairless eyebrow that wasn't covered by my white hair.

"Er...I mean...ah." She laughed awkwardly. "Well...you're just crazy, that's all."

"Possibly," I conceded. "But it's more likely that _you _are the crazy one."

She pretended to look hurt, but she continued to smile. "Oh yeah? How could you tell?"

"Well," I flexed, puffing out my chest. "My first clue was when you were foolish enough to fight me."

"Hey, I thought we already established who won that fight." The servant protested.

"Of course we did—me."

"_Right._"

"It's true!" I went on. "You never stood a chance."

"_Pompous ass_," she fake coughed. She pretended to clear her throat. "Sorry, I meant to say, pompous, egotistical, narcissistic, perverted, idiotic..."

"Alright, alright, I get it." I rolled my eyes. Then I smirked. "So...you hate having hair in your face, correct?"

"Yup," she confirmed. "It's horrible."

Before she could stop me, I darted out a hand and plucked a lock of hair from the band, ruining her sleek look. She yelped in surprise, and I doubled over, laughing at her.

"Hey!" she protested, blowing the strands out of her eyes. I just continued laughing. She tried to shove me off the branch, but I kept my balance. She, on the other hand did not, and she fell off the limb from the force, landing on the ground with a thud.

"Oww..." The girl moaned, laying spread eagle on the ground.

"You alright down there?" I called. "We wouldn't want you to injure yourself, now would we?"

"Too late. I think I dislocated my shoulder."

"What?" I frowned.

"_Paaiiinnn_"

* * *

**Marissa's** **POV**

"Yes..." Ghirahim mused, now standing behind me. "That shoulder definitely looks out of joint."

"Great..." I moaned. The pain had sparked up my arm and crawled up to my neck the moment I had struck the ground. Now it spread throughout the entire right side of my body like fire. "Herb is going to _kill me._ I wasn't supposed to get hurt!"

Ghirahim rested an arm on my arm. "Who says he'll find out?"

I frowned. "Well, _someone _has to fix it..."

"Exactly," Ghirahim adjusted his grip. "I will."

I stiffened. "Whoa, whoa, hang on a moment." I backed up. "Have you ever done this before?"

Ghirahim shrugged. "Well, no. But its been done to me dozens of times. How hard could it be?"

I swallowed. "Umm...pretty hard, actually."

Ghirahim laughed. "I'm only messing with you, Sky Child. I know how to do this. Surprisingly, my Master happened to teach me how as a child. I suppose he thought it may come in handy to know how to fix a dislocated shoulder."

"I guess so..." I mumbled, clenching my teeth from a fresh wave of pain. My mind began feeling fuzzy from the horrible sensation. "Alright, whatever. Just do it. Pop my shoulder back unto place."

"This may hurt quite a bit." Ghirahim forewarned, bringing my arm back.

"I know." I winced again. "But can you warn me when you're going to—"

I was interrupted by a pop. My arm jerked forward. Then the pain came.

"MOTHER TRUCKER!" I screamed, wrenching myself free from his grasp. Then a fire burned under my skin. Excruciating, agonizing pain shot up my spine. I felt like I was going to throw up.

"Steady," Ghirahim laid a hand on my good arm. "Don't hurt your other one."

"Shut...up..." I gasped.

"Oh come now," Ghirahim clapped me on the back. "I've been through worse than that. You're fine."

"Congratulations. Now please, shut your mouth."

"That's quite grateful of you." Ghirahim grumbled.

I leaned against a tree. "Sorry. Thank you for wrenching my arm back into its joint. I won't hesitate to return the favor."

Ghirahim blinked. "You know, Sky Child...when you put it that way...you're very welcome. It was a pleasure. I'd eagerly repeat it."

I muttered another string of curses. Then I rolled my shoulder.

"Well, I guess that was better than facing Herb's wrath." I glanced at the sun. "We should be getting home before we get hurt even more."

Ghirahim nodded slowly. "Perhaps that is a good idea."

We started down the trail, back to the demon realm.

"I assume today was a bit different than you expected," Ghirahim guessed.

"Oh yeah. A bit." I swung my hands. "For someone trying to take it easy, I sure managed to us pretty injured."

Ghirahim chuckled and shook his head. "Yes...that wasn't ideal. And I suppose I should apologize that this walk ended up being interrupted by the Rebels."

"It's okay." I promised. "And besides...if this had went as planned, how fun would that be? How memorable is a boring walk? But now I have the most...interesting walk to remember. And it was worth it to see your face when we got out of the cave. Ha...priceless!"

"Hmph." Ghirahim just shook his head.

"And...I got to spend today with a...friend...so..."

Ghirahim smiled a little. "Oh, so you admit you _enjoy _my company now?"

I rolled my eyes. "No. I'm just saying it wasn't horrible."

We were quiet for a few more seconds. I felt uncomfortable as the silence drew on.

"We really need to do something about those Rebels." I stated.

"We?"

"Yes, we." I turned to face him. "This impacts me too. If I'm going to do stuff like this with you—walks, games, and so on—then I'm probably going to end up getting hurt. You saw those monsters chasing me. And besides, every day that goes by with you ignoring them, they are slowly building their forces for the next attack. Pretty soon, after another attack like this, your villagers may start to join them. People are mad at you. Every time something happens, like yesterday's incident in the village, you're going to lose support. Think about all the people who died, everyone who lost loved ones. You think they'll forget that? You've got to stop worrying about Demise and put more effort into stopping them before there's more...collateral damage."

"Collateral damage." Ghirahim thought for a moment. "Why do I fell like there is more to that phrase than you let on? Some kind of inside reference?"

I considered denying it. But then, I realized if I told him about my situation, he may understand my situation a bit better.

"Do you remember a large Rebel attack on a village a few years ago? A lot of people died, and many kids were orphaned. Those children were sent to your manor, and you gave them each either a job or a foster family. Malice...he was one of them. He always refers to the deaths of his parents as 'collateral damage'. I just thought of him when you said that."

"Of course." Ghirahim's voice had lost its playful purr. "It always comes back to Malice."

I sighed. "Look, Ghirahim. Malice is my friend. You can't change that. And you, forcing us apart like this, not letting us hang out like we used to...it's just making him even more resentful towards you. You may feel isolated, but he feels the same way. He's too shy to be noticed."

"Wait..." Ghirahim's eyes narrowed. "More resentful?"

"He blames you for his parents' deaths. As do many other orphans, I'd think. That just brings me back to my original point. You have to do something about the Rebels before you anger any more people. You're just digging your own grave."

"You're saying they want me dead? They might help kill me?"

I bit my lip. "No...Malice would never do that. But I can't speak for everyone. I think you should watch your back, that's all."

"I thought that was _your_ job." Ghirahim countered.

I rolled my eyes. "I am your bodyguard. But that doesn't mean I'm there twenty four-seven. You've gotta be careful. Besides, I'm still working on the whole...fighting thing."

Ghirahim voice lowered as he continued to speak. "If you did happen to know anything about the Rebels...or an assassination attempt, you would tell me, yes?"

I considered my answer. "Ghirahim," I began. "You know that I have my secrets. I have a feeling that you don't trust me very much. And I think that's sensible, as I don't trust you any farther than I can throw you."

Ghirahim said nothing.

"That being said," I continued. "If I ever discovered any plot that would jeopardize your well-being, I wouldn't hesitate to warn you."

"That's pleasant to hear," Ghirahim said weakly. Then he stood up straighter, scanning the gray sky peeking through the treetops. "Curious..." he muttered, half to himself.

I followed his gaze. "What?"

"Those clouds...they're so dark and heavy. I can feel the moisture in the air.

I shrugged. "It must be about to rain. So?"

Ghirahim's gaze met mine once again. "You misunderstand. I am not concerned about a little rain. What concerns me is that I've seen similar clouds slowly gathering in the Demon Realm."

I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion. "Why is that significant? I still don't..."  
"You don't know anything, do you?" Ghirahim sighed. "The Demon Realm rarely everhas the same weather as Faron Woods. Demise's charm prevents it. And Faron Woods is protected by Hylia, as it is the hiding place of her precious seal on my Master. It _never _rains here. The last time the weather was consistent throughout the region was..." He trailed off.

"So...you think something's happening with Demise and Hylia? You think something's wrong?"

Ghirahim's gaze had grown distant, and I realized how strange he had been acting. Perhaps it was the worry or his exhaustion, but he hadn't been acting like his shameless, flamboyant self. He was acting like he'd lost that aggressive energy. Even more strange, I realized how much that was scaring me.

"I can't sense anything awry with my Master, and I wouldn't know about Hylia. All the same, I can't help but worry that..."

"What?"

"There's a storm coming. And I fear it will misbehave even more than the last one."

I blinked. "And by that you mean..."

Ghirahim took my arm. We had reached the border of Faron Woods and the Demon Realm, and he appeared ready to warp us back to the manor.

When we reached the land of Demise, I realized Ghirahim was right. The storm clouds gathering in this sky greatly resembled those in the forest we'd left behind.

Ghirahim's eyes were fixed on the clouds as well, and when he spoke, it was in the most serious tone I'd ever heard him use. "This storm...whatever it is...I don't think it will be like one I have seen before. It will be more than wind and hail and rain. It'll keep growing. And it won't stop until it's ready to consume us all."

His words hung like an ominous threat as the thunderheads rumbled and churned. The sun had begun to go down as we'd been walking in Faron Woods, and now it's dying rays turned the sky red. Blood red.

* * *

**There. I'll leave it with a pleasant thought. Positivity, right?**

**So, I'm going to thank you again for all your reviews, loyal readers. The success of this story has made me so happy! Thank you!**

**As always, please remember to Fav/Follow/review. I appreciate you all! Now that this is done, it's time to see Ed Sheeran kill it at the Billboard Music Awards tonight. Ciao.**

**~CatWhiskers24~**


	44. Chapter 42:Something Smells Like Trouble

**So, so sorry for the wait you guys. Life has a habit of making things difficult. Too much to do, too little time.**

**So I realized the other day that you guys have been asking some good questions, and I thought I'd answer a few of them that won't spoil anything. I always forget to answer your reviews. To make up for the long wait, how about I change that? So, without further ado, time for a session of Q&amp;A, you lovely people,you!**

**Legend of Fanime: You think of my story as a book? Why, thank you! That's my goal. And a suggestion for this summer, have you considered having a water balloon fight or such with your sisters? That ought to cool you guys off real fast.**

**Guest: No, I do not mind. Let's see...Yes, I'll most likely be updating this story more often during the summer. I can't say for sure how much more because it looks like this summer is going to be a lot more busy than usual. Apparently my friends want to hang out with me. Strange. Anyway, as for how long I'll be keeping this story going, that depends on a) how often I can update, and b) how many chapters I decide to write. I have most of the important chapters either written or outlined so I don't forget anything. It's just about connecting the different chapters with all my other little ideas that hit me at random, often inconvenient times. I might even do a sequel. I already wrote the ending to this, and I have an idea for a sequel, it's just about whether you want it. However, rest assured, that won't be for a while yet. And yes, yes there will be more fluff soon. Because of Marissa's personality, I thought she seemed like she would take it slow. But near the end...****you'll just have to see ;)**

**Illium Ipsom: I'm sorry you feel that way. And you do make some good points. But please bear in mind that right now my mind is so cluttered that it's hard for me to focus on anything, so I have to prioritize real life before story. And to be fair, if you dislike my MC so much, and you think my characterization and writing style is so bad, then why are you still reading it? This site is just for fun, and for novice authors like me to improve. If you don't like it, don't you think it might be better to read a story that's more your speed instead of one you don't like, and then taking the time to write a review about everything you don't like? That said, I do appreciate constructive criticism. And I am working on many of the things you mentioned, it's just that the change has to be more gradual for the rest of the story to work.**

**The Shy Potato: My story is more told from Ghirahim's side, just throwing in another character change things. Link's story goes about the same way until about...I'd say the third dungeon. Then stuff starts to get real. And, obviously Ghirahim's role won't end up the same as in the game. And I should add, events take more time in the story than in the game. I can't say much more, or might give something away!**

**And to everyone who asked for this-I updated.**

**Now, if I didn't answer your question or review, then either I missed it, or I didn't answer it because it would spoil something. If I did miss your review, forgive me, but I'll try to remember next week.**

**S/O to everyone who has reviewed my story thus far. I appreciate all of you. Special thanks to EnoshlmaJunko, AMaeJay, and PlottingPapaya, as you guys have been reviewing my story pretty consistently for a while now, as well as Disney lovers 101, Britneynene, MeMeLaLa, The Shy Potato, Aerois, jinxofthedesert, daydreamer0001, and love3509, and everyone else who has been reviewing for a while now too. **

**Anyway, this is gotten really really long. So sorry.**

**Forgot the disclaimer last time, so I'll underline it or something to make up for it.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own LOZ, just my Oc's and altered plotline.**

* * *

**Marissa's POV**

Everyone seemed to be a bit antsy when we entered the manor. People kept looking out the windows at the strange clouds, and nervous murmurs were exchanged within large clumps of demons.

Ghirahim and I each headed up to our respective rooms to change into some fresh clothes, so as not to raise any attention. This was important for Ghirahim especially, as the entire left side of his body was stained red with his own blood. We didn't want anyone to know what had happened out there, lest word of the accident should reach Herb. I was hoping we could go a day without him scolding me.

After changing into one of the less dreadful outfits that the maids had prepared for me, I sat on my bed and stared out the window. The clouds were already turning dark, warning us of the upcoming rain that was sure to come. But based on Ghirahim's comment, I didn't think this was anything to be worried about quite yet. It was more like...like a warning. A shadow of some disaster that was not yet upon us. And as for if it was from one of the deities in this land...I wasn't sure what to think. The way I saw it, if Hylia was going to do something like this, she would wait until I was a little farther with my mission. After all, Ghirahim seemed like he might be getting a little better, but whose to say he wasn't just faking it to deceive me? Or, he could have another relapse. Besides, Ghirahim could be very, and I mean _very _bipolar. Knowing that this was true, I could never really relax when Ghirahim was in a good mood, because at any moment he could snap.

No matter the case, whether I was making progress with Ghirahim or not, I knew one thing was true: It was going to storm soon. I just hoped the actual storm wouldn't be as bad as the last one, which ripped off part of the manor's ceiling.

I removed my phone from my boot and turned it on. My durable case, which prior to entering this world I had thought indestructible, was now covered in layers of scratches and dirt. It'd last for a while yet, but how soon until I needed a new one? I had my solar charger hidden between the desk and wall in my room, but without a case, I might as well just break it now. I'd have to get back to my world to get a new one.

I bit my lip. Forget the case! I had to get back to my own world for so many more reasons than that. What did my parents think? Were they worried? How much time had passed since I last returned home? It'd been at least a few weeks, and I had no idea where Link was. He must just be recovering from the fight at Skyview Temple before taking on his next challenge, but how long would it be? Would it be better to start trying to talk some sense into Ghirahim before or after Zelda's next stop?

Oh God...talking sense into Ghirahim. I hadn't even started thinking about that! I'd been so caught up in everything else that I had pushed the matter to the back of my mind. I was so stupid! I mean, sure, Hylia may have asked me to protect Ghirahim, but she had said my main goal would be to derail him. But how could I hope to distract him, let alone lead him from Demise? He only listens to me when it conveniences him.

_So let's see..._ I thought to myself. _So far I still have to prevent Ghirahim from resurrecting Demise, while trying not to make him hate me in the process, all while trying to stop the Rebels from killing innocent people. And I have to protect Ghirahim from getting himself murdered either. Oh, and I have to be home by...well...about a week ago. And my assets? A demon who is forbidden to talk to me and his kid-sister, a grumpy healer, a basic sword and shield, and magic powers I don't even know how to use. This should be fun._

I groaned and laid face-down in the pillow. While doing these tasks, I still had to try and keep my true identity a secret, even though I really had to get back home. Even if Ghirahim trusted me enough to let me leave, he wouldn't believe me if I told him that I had to return to Skyloft. After all, he knew that Link was probably there as we speak, and he probably would've told anyone who cared where I was. As for my parents...Ghirahim believed they lived on some other island and had sent me away to study at the Knight Academy. They wouldn't exactly notice if I were gone.

A lifetime's worth of stress crashed down on me all at once as I realized how hopeless my situation seemed. It was like being given five ambiguous school projects, with no specific due dates, and no instructions, and I had to do all of them on my own as soon as physically possible.

I'd never liked dealing with stress. It made my mind go wild, and made every little problem blown out of proportion in my mind. Suddenly, my situation seemed to weigh twice as much on my shoulders. I had to...had to talk this over with _someone. _I had to tell someone here what was really going on. Someone I could trust, who wouldn't dare to truly get involved in such dangerous matters.

I heaved myself out of the bed wearily and headed towards the door. I twisted the handle open as quietly as physically possible.

"Brooke?" I called down the hallway. The small maid appeared within a moment's notice. She stood before me, timid as usual, and, without meeting my eyes, she asked, "How may I be of service?"

I shook my head. "It's not..." I sighed. I couldn't believe I was doing this. But I really needed someone's advice. "It's just..."

"Yes?"

"I..." I opened up the door, letting her in. "Can we talk?"

* * *

**Ghirahim's POV**

As I left my room, I heard voices coming from inside a room nearby. It was the girl's room. Curiosity spiked through me and I moved silently towards the source of the noise.

I knelt outside the girl's room and put an ear to the polished wood.

"...just can't figure out how I'm supposed to deal with this. He's just so..." I recognized that voice as the servant girl. I tried to make out what she was saying.

A second voice answered the first.

"...have to do..."

I strained to listen. What were they talking about? What did she have to do? Something inside me needed to know.

"I know but..." The servant's voice was low. "It just doesn't feel right. I can't..." her voice cut out. "He's a..." A What?

"...it's against my nature." I heard that clearly.

The other voice sounded once again. "But...if he finds out your secret..."

I stiffened. What secret? What were they talking about?"

"I know." I heard the Skyloftian sigh. "But I can't even talk to him about it. It's not like I can actually tell him, even if I wanted to."

I let out a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding. So it was Malice she was upset about. It must be. She must be frustrated because she can't talk to him about whatever information she's been keeping to herself. Perhaps she never told him that she'd agreed to be my guard. That must be the case. After all, considering how much the servant boy despises me, he wouldn't be happy about her decision. No, not happy at all.

"But you must tell him." the other voice spoke again. "If he finds out that—"

"Spying on your girl, eh?" I jumped at a voice behind me.

"What?"

Platnox shook his head. "Ah, Debbie."

"Don't call me that." I snapped.

"What?" Platnox grinned and punched my shoulder. "Why not? Your little nickname suits you fine. It always has."

I rolled my eyes. "Just because you are like a younger brother to me doesn't mean I'm not afraid to have you executed."

"Ouch." Platnox chuckled. "And no offense Ghiri, but I believe _you _are the little brother." he straightened to his full height, which was about half an inch taller than me.

I got to my feet, standing straight. "I'm older. And I'm more powerful."

"Oh yeah?" Platnox raised a dark eyebrow. "That sounds like a challenge to me.

"Later," I scowled. "Right now I have to focus on—"

"Spying on your little girlfriend?" Platnox cut in.

I clenched my fists, fighting back the urge to strike him in the diaphragm. Demise hadn't approved of us fighting as kids. When we'd both been orphaned at a young age, Demise had generously taken us into his care. I, having shown the most potential, had been given the position of his sword. Platnox had become a high ranking noble in the manor. Being that we'd both been raised by Demise, he'd used a similar anti-aging charm on the Platnox as he had on me. We were the two oldest demons in the manor. While Platnox was younger, he'd always tried to act like the dominant one, teasing me at any and every opportunity. I'd learned to deal with it, so he'd all but given up at this point. But now and again, like presently, he'd act like an annoying younger brother all over again.

"She's not my girlfriend." I growled.

"Oh yes, that's right." Platnox continued. "You couldn't attract a female if you tried."

Saying nothing, I turned away and headed down the corridor.

"All this time, and I've had more ladies than you could count. And how many have you had? Oh yeah, that's right. One."

I stopped dead. "I told you to never mention Roseza's name again."

"I didn't," Platnox retorted. "But you just did."

"Why you insolent little..." fury filled me and I lunged at the other demon. He dodged out of the way.

"Calm yourself, Ghirahim. It's not my fault you drove her away."

I glared at him. "I did not _drive her away._ She...disappeared."

"Right." Platnox smirked. "You drove her off."

I turned away. "I did not. And if you have forgotten, I do have better things to focus on than getting lain by a different woman every other night."

"Whatever you say." Platnox shrugged. "But if you want a chance with her, you'd better ask fast, lest she gives up on you like every other girl in this place."

I laughed. "Trust me. Even if I _did _want her, she wouldn't be hard to take on. She's too trusting."

"If she's so easy, then why don't you two get together already? It's pathetic to watch you two interact. Why can't you just acknowledge you like her? She's even in your league!"

"Because I don't like her!" I snapped. "She's definitely not in my league. She's not even in a league. She's a mere servant. She's not even our species. She's a distraction, a nuisance."

The fact is, I didn't care if she was easy or not. I didn't find the girl exceptionally alluring. She was too young. Too innocent. She wasn't beautiful or very attractive. She was just...her. It was too easy to take advantage of her. She says she despises me, and yet I could tell she'd do almost anything for me. The thing is...did I not feel the same way?

As if voicing my thoughts, Platnox said, "If you feel so indifferently towards her, then why do you spend so much time with her? Why give her a luxurious room? Why go through great lengths to make her happy?"

I was silent for a moment.

"I don't know."

Platnox walked closer to me, realizing I was no longer feeling aggressive.

"What?"

"I don't know!" I snapped, louder than I'd expected.

Platnox's playful expression faded. "Well, you'd better figure it out. You haven't been acting like yourself lately."

I said nothing.

"Besides," Platnox said. "Banning her from seeing that other servant seems like a real hint. Jealousy, I presume?"

"No, it was..." I frowned.

Platnox shrugged and followed me down the hallway. "I'm just saying, to just about everyone it seemed like that was the case."

"So?"

"So, that includes her too. Aren't you worried she'll think you're leading her on?"

I laughed. "No. She wouldn't recognize a boy's affection if they went up to her and kissed her on the cheek. She's too daft, too aloof."

"And that's why you like her." Platnox teased.

I groaned, speeding up. "I do not like her. She's just a friend."

"Oh yeah?" Platnox raised an eyebrow. "Prove it."

* * *

**Marissa's POV**

I sat on my bed, letting out a content sigh. I had told Brooke just about everything. I don't think she believed all of it, but even if she did, it wouldn't matter. She promised not to tell a soul, and I believed her.

The thing was, even after our conversation, I was still not sure what to do next. After talking with Brooke, I knew what I probably _should _do. But I still was too afraid to do it.

My thoughts were interrupted as Ghirahim burst into my room.

"Hey, you know, there's this thing called knocking..." I said dryly.

Ghirahim ignored me. "So, Sky Child,"

"Apparently that's my official name now..."

Ghirahim folded his arms. "What secret are you keeping from the other servant? Do tell, girl."

I stared at him in shock. "Were you eavesdropping?"

"No," Ghirahim picked up my sword, which was sitting on the desk. "I merely happened to be at an audible distance, that's all. Now, tell me. What are you keeping from your little friend?"

"Nothing. I'm not keeping anything from him." I said quickly. So that may not have been the whole truth, as I was keeping the same secret from both of them, but we hadn't been talking about Malice. Though...maybe it was a good thing Ghirahim thought that, as he'd be much more..._curious _if he knew it was about himself.

"Don't lie to me, girl." Ghirahim narrowed his eyes. "I know you have a little secret. Now tell me."

"Nah." I rolled my shoulders, giving him an impish look.

Ghirahim scowled. Then he smirked. "Very well. Then I suppose you'll have plenty of time to tell him yourself."

I tilted my head. "And by that you mean..."

Ghirahim's smirk grew. "I have a little activity for you two to do together."

* * *

"Come now, keep walking." Ghirahim called. I could hear him, but I couldn't see him. He was covering my eyes.

"Why am I letting you lead me anywhere blind?" I asked him, though it was probably a question that _I _should answer.

Ghirahim ignored me and continued pushing me in the direction of his 'surprise'.

I could tell we were outside by the wind and fresh air, as well as the soft grass beneath my boots. As we drew closer to our destination, a distinct smell filled the air. It smelled like box-elder bugs and other dead insects. And on top of that, it smelled like...

"Is that manure I smell?" I asked in surprise.

I pulled away from Ghirahim. Sure enough, my nose hadn't lied. The smell on the air had definitely been of horses, and now the barn stood several yards away.

"Yes," Ghirahim answered. "It is indeed. And that's why I brought you here.

* * *

"Gross..." I scrunched up my nose.

"What? You don't like the smell of fresh horse...essence?" Malice called in amusement.

"No, I love the fresh smell of horse poop in the morning as much as the next guy, but I'd rather not step in it." I called back, wiping my boot on the rough grass. We were out in the pasture, behind the barn, where the stable-boys occasionally took the horses for a short walk. It was amazing how big of a mess they'd made out here.

"Why doesn't it surprise me that when I hang out with you, I end up having to scoop horse manure?" I asked dryly.

"Don't complain," Malice retorted, scraping a rather large pile of droppings up with his rake. "It builds character."

"Don't give me that crap." I retorted. Malice scowled as I snickered.

"That joke was about as terrible as this smell," he whined.

I grinned and stuck out my tongue like a child. He pretended to swing his manure rake at me.

"Hey! No horsing around!" I laughed.

"That's it!" Malice started towards me, fighting back a smile.

I heard an odd _squelch _as he took a step.

Malice let out a string of curses and I grinned. He had stepped in a pile of horse feces, and his foot had sunk down to his exposed ankle.

"Haha! Karma!" I shouted.

Malice groaned and shook off his foot. We finished our task soon afterward, and we sat next to each other in Oatty's pen.

"Why is Ghirahim letting us see each other again?" Malice asked.

"I don't know." I drew a hand over Oatty's coarse pelt. "He's Ghirahim. He does what he wants. No one really understands him."

"True." Malice agreed. "But I'm glad he did."

"Oh yeah?' I raised an eyebrow. "And why is that?"

Malice pretended to be fascinated by the rotting woodwork on the other side of the pen. "It's...well." He sighed. "About Ghirahim...we need to talk."

* * *

**Now. I'll keep this one short and sweet. Thanks to all of you. **

**Please fav/follow/review if you can spare a minute. Thanks.**

**Stay positive. Summer is all but upon us. **

**Stay safe,**

**~Catwhiskers24~**


	45. Chapter 43: Malice's Lament

**Okay...so I know it's been forever. I feel really really bad. Plus this chapter is only about average sized, so I'm really sorry about that too. I just had a really busy first week of summer. Between grad parties and birthdays...(today may have been a certain someone's)..I've had almost no time to write. That and my tendency to procrastinate. And my resurrected obsession with Hyrule Warriors. Oh, and did I mention I'm co-writing ANOTHER story with a friend? It's an original story, and I'm not sure what we're going to do with it, but don't worry. I'm still continuing this story. As the summer goes on, that's probably when I'll start updating more. But for now, this is all I have time for. Read and enjoy :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own LOZ. Just my OC's and alternate plot line.**

* * *

**Marissa's POV**

I sighed, leaning against the back of the pen. I tried to comprehend the conversation Malice and I'd just had.

"I don't get it." I said finally. "Why are you so unwilling to accept the fact that Ghirahim could change?"

"Because he _won't_!" Malice insisted. "I'm telling you, people _don't change._ Ghirahim has been like this for years. You think you get to him, you think he will change, you think you've made a difference...and then you're right back where you started. I get what you're trying to do. You think that if you're nice to him, that if you treat him right, he might do the same. But I'm telling you, it never works. He'll be kind for a while, he'll act like he's changed, and then he'll stab you in the back. He's done it before; he'll do it again."

"How do you know?" I asked.

"I just do." Malice insisted. "He's a player. He wants you to think that what you have is special. Then that's when he strikes. He'll manipulate you, exploit you, force you to do his bidding. And once he's satisfied, he'll go back to being his sadistic, self-centered self."

"You don't know that." I protested. "You have no idea how Ghirahim treats me. He's kind! It's amazing! I never thought he could be like this."

"Exactly!" Malice exclaimed. "I _do _know, because this has happened before."

"With who?"

Malice leaned back against the side of the pen with an exhausted sigh. "You know Brooke, don't you?"

"Yeah. She's like my handmaiden. Why?"

Malice stood up, kicking a loose floorboard. "Brooke and I..." He sighed. "We used to know each other. After the village burned, it was just the three of us. Brooke always helped me look after Vi. Then one day, she said something about seeing 'a different side' of Ghirahim. She said he was kind to her, that she thought he was misunderstood. So she spent her time trying to get to know him, to get him to like her and tell her whatever she thought he was hiding."

"Then what happened?" I asked, my mouth dry.

"She fell for him." Malice said angrily. "She listened to his every word. If he wanted the simplest task done, she did it. He made her feel special. He..._played _with her. Then one day...I don't know what happened, but they got into a fight of some sort. She finally realized what he was doing with her, and she was angry. He accused her of being disloyal. Then, after that...conflict, he took away her position as an 'assistant' and demoted her to being a lowly servant. Like me.

"I don't know what he did to her. She doesn't remember any of this. She doesn't remember me. According to her, she's been a servant her entire life."

Malice glared at the ground. "He's just doing the same for you. He's making you feel special...important even. Then, when he decides you aren't worth the trouble, you'll just end up like Brooke."

"I'm sure that's not true." I said quickly. "And Ghirahim isn't like that with me. He treats me well. Er...well, better than he treats most. Besides, he's gone out of his way to protect me...to make me feel happy. He wouldn't fight off the bokoblins if he didn't care about me at least a little, right?"

Malice shook his head. "You don't get it. He's doing the exact same thing with you that he did with Brooke. You must listen to me!"

I sighed and leaned forward wearily. "Look, Al, I'm not sure what exactly happened with Brooke. She doesn't seem like a depressed reject. She seems perfectly happy."

"But—"

I waved away his protest. "Whether or not he did something to her memory, I'm just going to go with what I know. And what I know is that everyone has their dark sides. And sure, maybe Ghirahim has done some questionable things, letting his dark side take over, and I think he's lost sight of who he is. That said, I also think he needs someone to remind him who he is. Besides, I'm not trying to have a relationship with him. I just think he needs a friend or two. Friends who can take his mind off his responsibilities for a while. He's obviously facing a lot of stress right now. But I'm going to try to help him. You've just got to trust me."

Malice sighed. "Gee, Ocean, I really want to. Believe me. But I think you're too trusting to realize what he's doing. He's got you fooled, too. You don't see what he's doing."

"No, Al." I stood up so I was facing him. "I think you're wrong. You're letting your own hatred for him influence your judgment. As for me, I neither like him nor dislike him. And I'm going to decide how I feel about him for myself."

Malice stood up with an exasperated sigh. "Why do I even try with you anymore?" He asked in frustration, shaking his head. His ginger hair was now covered in dust "If you are so sure that Ghirahim trusts you, then meet me on the roof tonight. We are not done with this conversation."

And with that, Malice got up and walked away.

"Oh, Oatburner," I sighed, stroking the young horse's snout. "What are we gonna do with him?"

* * *

The day went by fairly quickly, though not much happened. Ghirahim disappeared into his study (also known as his room) and he didn't come out until dinner.

I was having a pleasant theoretical conversation with Platnox about how angry one could make Ghirahim before he snapped. Ghirahim didn't enter the dining room until we were about halfway through said conversation.

"Speak of the devil." Platnox muttered into his drink.

Ghirahim took his normal seat at the head of the table. I turned towards him.

"So what were you doing in there? Writing the history of the world or something?"

Ghirahim glared at me. "Remember your place, girl."

"Oh." I said, taking a bite of some foreign dish. "I see how it is."

"Do you?"

"Yup." I said. "You just can't handle my sarcastic comments."

Ghirahim clenched his fist. "Why you insolent little..."

"Someone's grumpy," I muttered, just loud enough for him to hear. Ghirahim pretended not to take notice.

Platnox looked at me and winked.

Ghirahim didn't say much as we ate dinner. He seemed to be deep in thought. I noticed he looked more tired than usual. The skin under his eyes was more dark than normal. I frowned. Didn't Herb ask me to make sure he got some sleep or something?

I kept this in mind as we finished our meal. Then, when Ghirahim stood up to return upstairs, I did the same. He didn't say a word as I followed him up the stairs. To my surprise, he didn't even say anything when I followed him into his room.

The demon lord stopped abruptly after a few feet into the room. "Did you need something, Sky Child?"

I bit my lip. "What are you doing? You've been in here all day, and judging from those bags under your eyes, you haven't been catching up on your beauty sleep."

Ghirahim sighed, leaning against the door to his wardrobe. "I told you. My health is none of your concern."

"Actually," I stepped forward. "I'm your bodyguard, so I'm supposed to, you know, keep you alive. That means protecting you from yourself, too."

Ghirahim blinked. "And what kind of self-harm are you referring to?"

"I don't know, maybe staying up all night _researching_?" I pointed to the unkempt pile of books and papers on his desk.

"I've been worse." Ghirahim mumbled.

"Yeah, well you need some rest. How are you gonna get anything done like this?"

Ghirahim sat down at his desk. "You may not understand this yet, but I do have a master to serve. I don't have time to spare." He lowered his voice. "You saw what he did to me last time."

I frowned. "Yeah...but you still have to rest. You're not indestructible, you know."

"Obviously." he growled, glancing at the bandage with a wince.

"So you need your sleep." I pressed.

Ghirahim shook his head. "What I need is for you to stop bothering me."

I backed away. "Fine. Whatever. I'll leave. But you know, we aren't really enemies anymore."

"So?"

"So..." I gave a little shrug. "So I'm doing this 'cause..."

I shook my head briefly. "Nevermind. See you around, Ghir."

Ghirahim said nothing as I headed out the door.

* * *

When I arrived on the roof, Malice was already there, waiting for me.

"Look who showed up." Malice called as I approached.

I smiled weakly. "What was it you wanted to talk about?"

Malice shrugged. "Oh, who knows. Anything really. I thought we could sit out here and talk, like we used to."

I bit my lip. "I'm not sure that's the best idea. Ghirahim may have let us hang out at the stables, but I'm not so sure if he's allowing us to be like we used to be."

"Still doesn't trust you, huh? Interesting." Malice raised an eyebrow.

"You're not still on this, are you?" I groaned.

Malice stood up to face me. "Of course I am! I can't stop thinking about this...how you're spending your time trying to..." Malice trailed off. "To try to tame a savage beast."

"He's not a monster, Al." I corrected, my voice suddenly serious. "He's a person, like me or you. More like you actually, since he's a male demon."

"Any demon that can't fight for himself," Malice growled. "Is a shame to the species."

"Doesn't that describe Demise a little bit more? I mean, he is forcing Ghirahim to resurrect him while he just sits back in his seal. I mean, Ghirahim is his sword for heaven's sake!"

"Yes but he didn't..." Malice frowned. "Wait. How do you know that?"

"I..." I swallowed. "Heard it somewhere or another, I suppose."

Malice moved closer to me.

"No, no I think there's something you're not telling me. You're hiding something."

I paled, backing away. "No, no I'm not. I'm just..."

"You've been acting weird ever since you got here. All those times you've said something weird, something strange, I've just ignored it. But at this point, I feel like I don't know you anymore."

I stared at Malice, panic starting to overwhelm me. "What do you want?"

"The truth." Malice responded. "Or would you rather tell your _lover_?"

"My love-wait, _what_?" My mouth gaped. "Malice, Ghirahim and I are just friends! And barely even that! He's a creep! Some days, I still think I hate him."

"And others?"

"Others..." I took a deep breath. "Others, I feel like he's...misunderstood."

"Misunderstood!" Malice threw his hands up in exasperation.

"It's true!" I retorted. "If you knew more about his past, you'd understand."

"Then enlighten me."

I lowered my gaze. "I'm not sure that's my place to tell you."

"Wow." Malice shook his head. "Just...wow. I thought we were friends, huh? Is that what you do with friends? Keep important secrets? I wonder what else you're hiding from me? Maybe you're even hiding something from Ghirahim!" He gasped. "But there's no way you'd do that to him, is there?"

"Well..." My mouth was dry.

"Really?" Malice's eyes flashed. "Why don't you tell me?"

"I really can't." I insisted.

"Well, then I guess I've lost you too." Malice hissed. He turned towards the edge of the roof.

"Wait, Malice."

The servant hesitated.

I took a deep breath. "There...there actually _is _something I need to tell you.

"And what is that?"

I clenched my fists. "I...I don't know how to say it but..."

"But what?"

"I'm..." I started pacing. This was one of the hardest things I'd ever had to tell anyone.

"Spit it out."

"I'm not from here!" I blurted out.

Malice hesitated. "Obviously not. I'd think I could tell if you were a demon."

"I mean...I'm not from Skyloft."

Malice stared at me. Then a look of forced realization crossed over his face. "Oh...that's right. You come from a smaller island, right?"

I shook my head.

Malice's mouth opened slightly. "Then...are you from somewhere else on the surface?"

"No. Of course not."

"Then...where _are_ you from?"

I sat on the side of the roof with a huff. "It's...complicated."

"Just tell me."

I stared at my hands, which I rested on my knees. "Well...you see..."

Malice shook his head. "You're really not going to tell me, are you?"

"I am, it's just...hard."

"Why should it be?" Malice inquired.

"Because..." I took in another deep breath. Then the words flooded out of my mouth like a river. "My real name is Marissa. I'm from somewhere a ways away, and you wouldn't believe me if I told you where. I was sent here by the goddess Hylia to complete a very important mission, and it involves Ghirahim."

Malice was quiet for a long time.

"So...everything you told me was a lie?" Malice asked quietly.

"No...not everything."

"How do I know you're telling the truth right now?" Malice continued.

I covered my eyes with my hands. "Look...Malice...I never meant for you to get caught in this. But...everything's getting all confusing."

Malice put his hands on his hips with a sigh, studying the ground intently.

"And...this mission?"

It's..." I trailed off suddenly. Was that breathing I could hear? Just below me? I remembered with a jolt that we were standing on top of Ghirahim's room. His window was just a few feet below us. I tried to remember what I'd seen when I was in his room. Was the window open? If so, could he hear us?

The breathing seemed to quiet, and I wondered if that had anything to do with the lull in the conversation. I really didn't want Ghirahim finding out about all this quite yet, and I really didn't want him to find out like _this. _He'd never trust me again.

"What is it?" Malice asked.

"I just...can't tell you." I responded, my voice now much lower.

"Why?"

"There are just some things that some ears aren't meant to hear at the moment." I said, trying my best to be discreet. I had a feeling that if Ghirahim knew that I suspected he was listening, it was almost a guarantee that he would confront me.

"I see." Malice muttered icily.

I really doubted it.

Hurt crossed Malice's face. He really let things get to him quickly. That worried me.

"Well," Malice sighed, turning his back on me. "I guess you're really not going to tell me."

"Wait, Al, you don't understand!"

"Do I really not?" Malice glared at me. "Because I think I understand _perfectly._"

"Wait! Malice!"

The young demon pretended not to hear me as he stormed off the roof and slung himself back over the side.

* * *

I came back inside a few minutes later. I had no idea where Malice had went, and I was starting to get worried. While Malice acted tough, it was easy to tell how quickly things like this got to him. I wasn't always sure whether or not he was emotionally stable.

I quickly pushed this thought from my mind. Malice needed his time to cool down. I didn't know how to handle him and Ghirahim anymore.

Knowing I wouldn't be able to sleep for a while yet, I left my room. I walked towards Ghirahim's room. His door was ajar, the shadows of the hall bleeding into the light of his room. I peered in. What I saw made me smile, despite my dreary situation.

Ghirahim was bent over his desk, resting his head on the ruffled pile of papers. His curtain of hair covered one side of his face. He was sound asleep.

_Poor thing, _I thought in amusement. I walked over to where he lay, slumped over his work.

"Ghir?" I whispered. He didn't respond. He was fast asleep. I smiled in satisfaction, listening to his quiet, even breathing. I walked over to his massive bed and removed one of the blankets. Returning to Ghirahim's side, I draped it over his shoulders.

"Good night, you _foolish _little demon." I murmured, patting his warm shoulder with my hand. Then, with a small smile, I turned and left his room.

* * *

**So yeah. **

**Anyway, don't worry. I'm not really having writers block or anything. I just have to remember to work on this when I have time. And I do try to proofread. But I do miss stuff. Usually I have someone read this beforehand, but the last few times I ran out of time. So ya.**

**Also, like always, please review fav/follow if you can. I really appreciate the support.**

**~CatWhiskers24~**


	46. Chapter 44: Speed Bump

**What's up, guys? I'm back. I didn't have time to work on this for the past few days because my family was on a short vacation. Our car almost got attacked by bison, so that was fun. Anyway, here's the next chapter.**

**Now, I know a lot of you may be wondering when Link is going to come back in. Don't worry, we'll here from the hero in a couple of chapters. This chapter starts a string of events that will change a few key parts if this story. You guys can look forward to more fluff, more fighting, more surprises, more cliffhangers, more character deaths...**

**Wait...did I really mention that? Whoops.**

**Well, anyway, thanks for your time. Now read. Go. Stop looking at this A/N. There's nothing more to see here. You're still reading? Sheesh, you're persistent. But I have nothing else to say!**

**Okay. Did you guys know Ed Sheeran has a cat named Graham? Ironic, huh? **

**That is all.**

**Except...**

**Disclaimer: I do not own LOZ, just my OC's and alternate plot. And I'm not liable for any injuries the characters may receive. Oh, wait.**

* * *

**Ghirahim's POV**

In the morning, I continued to pour over my books and scrolls. I'd found a few clues. Not many, but some. I was so close to discovering the Spirit Maiden's plan that I could _taste _it.

Or perhaps that was only because I was hungry. I _had_ skipped breakfast, after all. With the knowledge so close to being in my grasp, I'd decided I could do without a meal. I wanted to continue searching while the information from the other books was still fresh in my mind.

I picked up a rather dusty looking book and opened it on my desk.

"Ho hum..." I muttered. "Perhaps this will have something useful."

As if I believed that.

I sleepily thumbed through the pages. Nothing. Why wasn't I surprised?

As I reached for the next book, I heard a tentative knock on the door.

"Yes?"

"Ghirahim? It's me." I sighed at the sound of the servant girl's voice.

"Can I ask you something?"

I set down the book, my curiosity getting the best of me.

"Very well. Come in."

The girl walked in, a nervous look on her face.

"Is there something wrong?" I inquired, though I didn't particularly care one way or another.

She shrugged. "Depends."

"On...?"

She laced her fingers behind her back. "Is there anything you wanted to ask me about?"

I blinked. "Should there be?"

"No..." She laughed nervously. "You know, I have no idea why I came here. I think I'm gonna...go."

She backed up slowly, edging towards the door.

"So...see you then..."

I waited until she was about to leave, when she thought she was in the clear, and then called her back. I tapped my chin. "Oh yes...there was that _one thing._ Hmm...what was it...what was...Oh!" I fixed her with a hard look. "Would you mind explaining just why you were talking to that _Malice_ character on the roof?"

"I...er...wait, what?" She feigned an ignorant expression. "I don't know what you're..."

"Save it." I snapped. "I heard you, you fool. My hearing is quite keen."

The girl's face grew pale. "What exactly did you hear?"

I clenched my fists. That's what angered me. I was half asleep when I'd realized they were talking. And by the time I could make out their voices, all I could hear was them discussing some mission of some sort.

"What are you planning with him?" I demanded.

This time, her look of confusion seemed genuine.

"What do you mean 'planning?' We weren't planning anything!"

"Liar." I spat. "I am no fool, contrary to what he may have led you to believe."

She stared up at me, eyes wide. "Y-You don't understand. Malice and I weren't planning anything! He was _interrogating _me!"

"About what, may I ask?" I inquired, moving closer.

The girl tried to move back out the door, but I slammed it shut with a snap of my fingers.

"It doesn't matter." She insisted.

"I want to know."

"We all want things."

I glared at her. "I'm not to be fooled with right now. Be honest and no one will be harmed."

She lowered her eyes. "Seriously. It doesn't involve you."

"Is that so?" I narrowed my eyes. "Because I could've _sworn _that I heard my name. In fact, I believe it was mentioned multiple times. So yes, it does concern me. Now speak."

She moved to the side, trying to get away from me. I saw something on her face that I hadn't seen since I'd first met her:

Fear.

"Why does it matter?" She asked, dodging the question. "What are you so afraid of?"

Frustration rose up in my throat like bile. She was impossible sometimes. Why couldn't she just answer the question instead of avoiding it?

"What are you afraid of?" The girl repeated.

"Nothing."

She glared at me. "Oh yeah? If that's true than why don't you just trust me enough to drop it?"

"Because I _can't _trust you! Can't you get that into your thick human skull? I can't trust _anyone. _Especially not someone I know so little about!"

The fear and anger in her gaze faded and she smiled weakly. "Ghirahim...I..."

I shook my head and leaned heavily against the post of my bed, wincing. Weariness crashed over me. That chair hadn't been very comfortable. Pain spiked up my back, and I shuddered.

"Hey..." She moved closer. "Careful now. Why don't you sit down?"

I allowed her to take my arm and guide me to the foot of my bed, where I sat with a sigh.

"You're really impossible sometimes, you know that?" The girl asked, shaking her head. "But I get what you mean."

"What?"

She sat down next to me. "I've read enough books to get a sense of what you're going through. In many stories like this, the leader—being you—has trust issues, as they're afraid for their safety."

I folded my arms. "Yes. But it's not that simple. It's not just fear, its..."

"Just...a general sense of danger?" She guessed.

I nodded. "I suppose you could say that." I sighed, "You wonder why I'm so...different...Why I struggle to put my faith in anyone. But I don't have much of a choice. With a group of my people wanting me dead, and with the fact that they may attempt an assassination at any moment...it's hard to trust anyone. I can't afford to believe anyone is on my side. All I can do is look over my shoulder and keep my guard up."

The girl nodded. "I can't imagine what that would be like. Constantly worrying that someone's going to jump out of your closet or through the window and try to kill you. How do you live like that? How can you ever feel relaxed...or safe?"

"You don't." I answered simply. "I've learned to live with the fact that I will never be safe. At least...not until the Rebels are gone. Perhaps things will get better once I resurrect my master, but until then, this is the way I live."

"It's no way to live." The girl said, her voice almost angry.

"It is what it is." I sighed. "I'm not asking for your sympathy. I'm just explaining my situation and why I can never trust you completely."

"But you can!" She protested. "I'm your bodyguard. Seems like my job is to make sure nothing happens to you. There's no need to suspect that I'm plotting something. I wouldn't do that."

"Care about me that much, do you?"

She gave a tiny shrug. "More like I'm too lazy."

I managed a small chuckle and shook my head. "Of course."

The servant moved a little closer to me and leaned her head on my shoulder.

"I trust you." She said softly.

I smiled weakly. "Why, of course you do. I _am _quite the charmer, after all."

She rolled her eyes. " I said that I _trust_ you, not _love _you."

"But we know they're both true anyway." I taunted.

"You wish." She shot back, leaning away from me.

I drew a hand over my face. "What am I doing?" I said out loud.

"What are _we _doing?" She corrected.

I laughed lightly. "I suppose you have a point there."

The servant girl was quiet for a moment. "You know, Malice is really mad at me."

I said nothing.

"He thinks you're a vile person, and that I'm a fool for letting myself trust you."

"And what do you think?"

She shrugged. "He's probably right. But here I am anyway."

I stared at her for a moment. "Why are you telling me this?"

The girl shrugged and stared at her hands. "Well...see...I was just thinking..." She twiddled her thumbs. "So, I know you and Malice aren't exactly on great terms...but I think I know how we can fix that."

"Fix it? Why would I want to do that?" I snorted. "He's just a lowly servant."

"Well that '_lowly servant_' is a nice boy." She retorted. "And for the last time: It doesn't matter if you like him or not. Do you really want him to hate you?"

I shrugged. "I couldn't care less when it comes to the likes of _him._"

She slapped her hands to her face. "Such a...stubborn...idiot..."

She took a deep breath. "Okay. So do you really want Malice telling people about the way you treat him? Isn't that just guaranteeing more people will side against you?"

I laughed at her daft comment. "Your silly ignorance is delightful." I preened. "But no servant would risk bringing my fury upon them."

"I don't know. Malice doesn't seem very intimidated by you." She reasoned.

"Is that so?"

The girl sighed. "Could you just listen to my idea? I think it could at least lessen the tension."

I nodded in resignation. "Well...I _am_ listening."

Her gaze brightened. "Great! But...you probably won't like it. You're gonna have to trust me for this to work."

"Just explain the plan already. I haven't all day, now do I?"

The girl blinked bright blue eyes. "Alright. Here it goes."

* * *

**Marissa's POV**

"Malice!"

The young demon whipped around at my voice.

"Oh," he muttered as I approached. "It's _you._"

I rolled my eyes. "Nice to see you too, Al."

Malice flipped some messy ginger hair out of his eyes. "Here to gush about how perfect Ghirahim is?"

I face-palmed. "I never said he was perfect."

"You still defended him." Malice retorted.

"Yeah because..." I trailed off. "Look. I didn't come here to talk about Ghirahim."

"Oh yeah?" Malice pulled open the door to his room. "Then why _are_ you here?"

"Well...I was just thinking...It's been a while since we've hung out, hasn't it?"

"Obviously." He muttered.

I ignored his bitter comment and continued. "I was wondering if you'd like to go for a walk in Faron Woods?"

Malice blinked. "Sure, I'd love to."

"Great!" I beamed.

"But we can't."

I frowned. "Wait...why?"

Malice shrugged. "Is it really that hard to figure out? Your little boyfriend would never allow it."

I clenched my fists. "He's not my..." I broke off with a sigh. "Look. I talked to Ghirahim, and he gave us permission. No one will stop us."

"Oh yeah?" Malice raised an eyebrow. "And how did you manage that?"

I smirked. "I have my ways."

"If you say so." Malice said quietly. Then he glanced back at me. "You really don't get it, do you?"

I blinked. "Wait, What?"

"Nevermind." Malice sighed. "So are we going or what?"

I nodded. "Yeah. Follow me."

I led the way out of the manor and headed towards our first stop at the bottom of the slope near his manor.

"Why are we at the stables?" Malice asked warily.

"'Cause..." I opened up the large wooden door. "Reasons."

Malice sighed. "Alright. That really clears it up."

I walked into the dim room, the smell of horses and hay quickly filling my nose.

"Seriously," Malice insisted. "Why are we here?"

"Patience!" I scolded.

Malice watched silently as I flipped open the hook on Oatburner's pen.

"What are you _doing?_" He demanded.

I shrugged. "Why don't we make this a threesome?"

The young demon blinked in shock. "I can't imagine Ghirahim would allow us to take _a horse_ with us."

"No, probably not." I agreed. I fastened the reins to the horse's snout. "But how will he find out?"

Malice's face broke into a grin. "You're seriously going to ride him?"

I smiled. "Sure. Why not?"

I took an old, dusty saddle from the corner of the stables and gently placed it on the young stallion's back. Then, with Malice's help, I led the horse out of his pen. In the sun, I could tell he was still much smaller than Ghirahim's war horse, Obsidian.

I walked around the horse. I realized we'd run into a problem.

"Malice?"

"Yeah?" Malice stood next to me. "What's up?"

"How do we get on him?" I asked.

The servant thought for a moment. Then he shrugged. I tried a whistle. The horse responded with a snort. I clicked my tongue. He just blinked large brown eyes at me.

I turned to my companion. "What now?"

"Hmm..." Malice rested his hand on the horse's dark muzzle. Immediately, the horse bowed its head and bent it's sturdy knees.

"Cool..." I breathed with a grin. Malice swung a leg over the horse's back. He offered me a hand.

I hesitated. "Maybe we should go one at a time. This horse hasn't been ridden before, right? I doubt he's ready for two people."

Malice nodded reluctantly. "That's probably best. The stable boys have probably broken him in, but I doubt anyone has rode him for long." He gripped the reins. "So what are you going to do?"

"Sprint behind you." I answered simply.

"He's going to run pretty fast," Malice warned.

"Then so will I."

Malice nodded. "Have it your way, then."

Before I could move a muscle, he jabbed a heel into the horse's side. It reared up with a loud whinny, and then it surged forward. I had to jump out of the way to avoid his huge hooves.

I whipped around and watched as Oaty blazed down the path, straight towards the border of Faron Woods.

"Hey!" I shouted, tripping over myself as I tried to follow. "Wait for me!"

* * *

Malice stood waiting for me as I finally made it to Faron Woods. I had to lean against a tree as I stood, winded. I watched Oaty as he took a nice, long, _cold _drink at a nearby stream.

"I...am dying..." I wheezed.

"Did you have a nice run?" He asked sweetly.

I nodded as I gave him the bird.

"That's not very polite." He sniffed.

"Shush," I laughed. "You're starting to sound like—" I let out a fake gasp. "_Ghirahim._"

Malice made a face. "Farore forbid I ever end up anything like him."

"Well, he's not _all _bad." I pointed out.

"He's bad enough. I mean seriously, have you met someone with a bigger ego?"

"Well, you've got a point there." I agreed.

Encouraged, Malice squatted dramatically, throwing a hand over his brow. "Oh look, I'm _Ghirahim _and I'm so _fancy. _Just look at me! I'm so fabulous!"

"Shut up," I scolded, fighting back a laugh.

Ignoring me, Malice continued. "Wait, I take that back. My stunning appearance is not meant for mortal eyes! Look away before they are blinded by my beauty!"

"Stooooop." I whined, no longer able to hold back my laugh. I slapped him on the shoulder, and he straightened, chuckling as well."

I gave him a mischievous look. "And look at _me! _I'm _Malice _and I'm so smart!" I drew a hand over my forehead. "And my ginger hair is as bright as the _sun_." I made my voice into a lisp on the last few words.

"Hey," Malice broke in. "That's not funny."

"The _SUN." _I said louder.

Malice raised an eyebrow. Then he smirked.

He straightened up. "I'm Ocean and I lie about _everything! _I'm not just from another dimension. I'm an agent for the goddess herself!" He laughed at his comment, which probably seemed absurd to him.

I chuckled nervously. "Yeah. As if." I cleared my throat. "Why don't we continue with our walk?"

Malice nodded. He turned around, facing the gates to the Sealed Temple.

"What's that?" He asked.

"Oh. Those are the Sealed Grounds. It's where Demise is imprisoned or whatever. Now come on!"

Malice's eyes bulged. "_Those _are the Sealed Grounds?"

"Yes. Now let's go!" I motioned with my head to the nearest path.

Malice continued to stare at the entrance to the pit.

"Hello?" I poked his arm. "Al? Is there anyone in there?"

Malice blinked once, and then his thousand-mile stare cleared.

"Y-Yeah." He cleared his throat. "Let's go."

He glanced back at the Sealed Grounds and then started after me.

I walked forward, not looking back. If I had glanced back, I might have seen Malice stop, seen him turn around, noticed him walking towards the temple.

But I didn't. I kept my gaze locked firmly on the trail ahead of me. I didn't realize Malice wasn't following me until it was too late.

* * *

I walked back towards the clearing where we had left Oatburner. I had no idea where Malice had wandered off to, but I had enjoyed walking through the forest nonetheless. The quiet sounds emitted by thousands of living things could still fill me with awe. I loved nature. In fact, there wasn't much that I _didn't _like in this world. While it definitely had its problems, I had grown an appreciation for the clean taste of its water and air. I silently wished that my world could be like this.

I realized I had wished a lot of things lately. Not that anyone would be listening, but I'd silently prayed that one day, maybe Link and Zelda could live in peace, that the people of every realm could coexist, and that maybe, just maybe, Ghirahim could lead a nice, safe, good life.

However, at the moment, there was only one thing that I really desired.

I looked around. "I really wish I knew where..." My eyes widened as they spotted a crumpled shape on the ground. "_Malice!"_

I ran over to his side. He was lying spread-eagle in the grass, his eyes wide open, with one hand on his head.

I shook his shoulder and called his name.

"Malice! What's wrong?"

The servant didn't move. He just kept that same dazed look in his eyes.

I tentatively touched a finger to the skin on his arm. He was cold.

I bit my lip nervously. "What happened to..."

He sat up with a sudden gasp. "Don't-!"

Malice broke off with another gasp. "Can't...do it..."

Then the young demon's head lolled back, and his eyes fluttered closed.

I shook his shoulder. He just groaned. Fear seized me.

For his sake, I managed to stay calm. I looked around the clearing. My head snapped towards Oatburner as the horse let out a strangled whinny.

I ran towards him, an idea forming in my mind. Setting a hand on the horse's muzzle, I managed to calm him down.

"Easy..." I said softly. Oaty was staring at Malice in alarm.

I took his reins and led him to where the demon lay.

As if reading my mind, the horse bent down. I tried to pick up Malice, but my back refused. With a grunt, I moved the demon's body closer to Oaty. I managed to push him onto the old saddle. Then, using a few of the dead vines creeping up the nearby trees, I secured him to horse's scaly back.

Knowing that trying to ride the beast as well would only slow him down, I decided I would just have to run back. I knew I would have to go faster this time, not wanting Oaty to be alone for long.

I remembered something Malice had told me once:

_"Nightmare horses aren't like normal steeds."_

_ "You don't say..." I had responded._

_ Malice had gently touched the horse's snout. "I mean they don't act like normal horses. They're...how do I put this..?" He thought for a moment. "Smarter. They have better memories. Some people even think they have...reasoning, even logic."_

_ I raised my eyebrows. "Oh yeah? What makes you think that?"_

_ Malice shrugged. "Did you know if one of these guys wandered off, no one would be sent to retrieve it?"_

_ "Why not?"_

_ "Because it would just find it's way back." Malice had answered, patting Oaty's side. "They always do."_

Now, with no one to guide the horse, it was time to put Malice's theory to the test.

I laid a hand on Oaty's snout.

"Go ahead." I muttered. "Take him home."

I gently swatted it's hip, and the horse reared up, dashing forward. I watched as the horse ran at lightning speed out of the woods.

"Godspeed, Oatburner." I called after him. "Godspeed."

* * *

**What happens next? Tune in next time to find out!**

**Thank you for all the reviews and favs/follows! You guys are FANTASTIC!**

**Now, I guess I'll leave this footnote short. Bai!**

**~Catwhiskers24~**


	47. Chapter 45: A Meal To Die For

**Happy July! Two days until the Forth, huh? I would do a special chapter for it...but I don't know where you'd find fireworks in Hyrule...or why they would be celebrating an American Independence Day...so yeah.**

**Anyways, here's the latest installment of A Different Path. This is another chapter that I've been waiting forever to post. It was one of them that I had in my mind before I even decided to turn my silly idea into a story. Jeez, that was way back. I think that was before I even discovered FanFiction. Hot dang, it's been a while!**

**So, enough of my blabbering. Read.**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own LoZ. I just own my OC's, alternate plotline, etc.**

* * *

**Marissa's POV**

Two hours after I had followed Oatburner back to Ghirahim's manor, Malice lay in a bed in the hospital wing and I sat at his beside. He was alive. He didn't look great, but he was alive.

When Herb had asked me what had happened, I had described to him all that I could remember. As I had told my story, a dark look had crossed over the healer's face. He'd muttered to himself, and then he'd shooed me off to the side.

"What's wrong with him?" I asked Herb once again.

The blonde demon looked up from his work across the room. He shrugged. "Not much. He's fine now."

"But why did he collapse?" I pressed, frustrated that he kept avoiding my questions.

"Any number of reason." Herb answered, not meeting my eyes. "Heatstroke, dehydration, starvation, exhaustion..."

"What _really _happened?" I asked. "I'm not dumb. Al is a healthy, young demon. He seemed perfectly fine before I walked away. Something happened, and I have a feeling you know what it is. Now just man up and tell me!"

Herb blinked. "Did he seem light headed at all?"

"Herb!"  
The healer sighed. "Look, Ocean, I'd love to tell you, but I don't know for sure."

"But you have an idea?"

A pained expression spread across his face. "Yes. I suppose I do. But I'm not sure if I'm right, so I would prefer to—"

"Tell me." I interrupted. "I'm your apprentice, and I'm Al's friend. I'm the only family he has left." I gazed down at Malice's pale face, sympathy crashing over me. "I mean, besides..." My eyes widened. "Violet! Where is she?"

I felt a surge of worry. While the girl might want to pay Al a visit, I didn't want her to see her strong, healthy brother in this state. She'd already lost her parents; there was no need to scare her.

As if reading my thoughts, Herb answered my question. "I sent a few bokoblins to entertain her. Malice will be better before she knows anything was ever wrong."

I let out a breath of relief. "Thank you."

Herb nodded. "It would be unwise for her to be in here right now. Especially considering what we are about to discuss."

I felt my eyes widen. "What...What _are_ we going to discuss?"

Herb looked behind him to check if the door was closed. Then he pulled a chair from the nearest bed and turned it to face me.

"Now," he began, sitting down carefully. "I told you about the Sealed Grounds, and about how Demise can...influence demons who enter them?"

"Yeah..." I stared at Herb in shock. "You're not saying...Demise..._possessed _him or something?"

"No." Herb shook his head. "I'm saying it's possible. What you described...his symptoms...they all match up with Ghirahim's condition when he collapsed that day. While I assume it's happened more since then, Malice's state quite resembles what Ghirahim was like the first time."

I was quite for a moment.

"Sooo..." I cleared my throat. "What would Demise even _want _with Malice? He's just a servant for heaven's sake!"

"That's the part I don't understand. If Demise has a reason to contact Malice, then I think that's a cause for us to be worried. It can only mean trouble."

I looked down at Malice, who lay unconscious in the bed. Hadn't we had enough trouble already?

Herb stood up. "I'll leave you two alone for a while."

"Wait!"

The healer turned around.

I bit my lip. "He's going to make it...right?"

Herb hesitated. "Most likely."

"_Most likely?_" I exclaimed.

"Look, Ocean..." Herb sighed. "There's only so much I can do. I don't know what exactly Demise did, or if it will cause any long term damage. All I know is that I've done all I can."

I nodded numbly. "Alright. Thanks, Herb."

Herb opened his mouth, as if considering a response, but then he closed it again and nodded briskly. I watched as the healer walked behind a curtain at the back of the infirmary.

I sat quietly at Malice's bedside for a while. I watched his quiet breathing, his pale face. His ginger hair looked so tousled. I reached a hand forward and drew a hand through it, taking a few leaves with me. I felt numb. What if he never woke up? What if I never got a chance to tell him the truth?

I placed a hand on his wrist. It was so warm. That was a good sign, right? Demons seemed to have a higher body temperature and...

I sighed. I couldn't bear the thought. I'd lost so many friends in so many ways...but never like this. I'd never had one..._die._

_No._ I thought. _Malice will be fine. He just passed out. He's going to be alright, just like Ghirahim was._

No matter how many times I tried to tell myself otherwise, I still felt like this was all my fault.

I took a few deep breaths. I needed to stop thinking about worst-case scenarios.

I lost track of time sitting there. Seconds, minutes, and hours passed by, though I couldn't tell the difference between them. Eventually, I heard a creak as the door opened. Then footsteps. Someone sat in the chair next to me. When I turned to face him, I looked with shock at the face of the last person I expected to see.

Ghirahim sat quietly. I had no idea why he was here. He obviously wasn't here to visit Malice. That was for sure. But then why would he bother coming here?

The demon lord looked as if he was considering saying something. Then, thinking better of it, he looked away.

We sat in silence for a while. I looked at Ghirahim. His face was unreadable. Then, slowly, but casually, he rested a hand on my knee. The touch sent jolts through my skin and up my leg, causing the bottom of my spine to tingle, as if I'd just received an electric shock.

I tried not to flinch away, but the sensation was so strange and unexpected. Maybe it had to do with the fact that I didn't like physical contact, but this was different.

Ghirahim stayed with his palm lightly touching my knee, and then his arm fell away. I looked at him again. He cleared his throat and stood up, the momentary look of concern gone. He left the infirmary without a single word.

I'm not sure how long I sat there by Malice. It was driving me insane, not being able to do anything for my friend. No matter how many times I told myself he would be fine, that Demise hadn't actually done anything to him, there was a part of me that knew otherwise. It was maddening. Malice looked fine. He looked like he was just...asleep or something. And yet...this was different.

I sighed and leaned my elbows against the edge of Malice's cot.

"How did we end up here, anyway?" I asked him. "This is all my fault, isn't it? If I hadn't been so stupid and secretive, then we never would have had that argument, and I wouldn't have just...made you go on this walk.

"Of course, I would have happily gone anyway, but this may not have happened if I hadn't insisted on _today _of all days." I bowed my head.

"I can be really stupid sometimes, can't I? Why didn't I just tell you the truth from the start? My name really _is _Marissa, and I'm from this place called Earth. There are over 7 billion people there! I bet you can't imagine that many intelligent beings in one world, but it's true. You'd love it there; especially in my home in Minnesota. We have seasons and snow too, but it's more consistent. And there are no servants, no peasants. Yeah, we have a population that is doing worse financially, but it's different. There are more programs to help. It's not great but it's...better. I wish you could see what it's like there. You deserve to have that freedom.

"And it's amazing, Malice, because people have a freedom to choose what they do with their lives. Well, relatively of course, but it's still true. I always wanted to do something in the medical field. I don't know why, it was just always my...calling. You could have found your calling, had you lived in my world. And oh, Malice, it's just beautiful on Earth. There are mountains and waterfalls and canyons that stretch as far as the eye can see. And at night, the stars seem to light up the sky. That is...when you're actually in a place where you can _see _the stars. I wish you could see it. I wish you could see the sky on the Fourth of July. Maybe I'll take you there someday. Or at least...I can try. And if I could just..."

I trailed off, my voice raw.

"I wanted to tell you everything. I wish I could tell you the truth, how Hylia sent me to protect Ghirahim and recruit him for the good side. At first...at first I hated him. And I hated _her_ for forcing me to do this. I never asked for this. I never asked to come here, to be forced into protecting someone I despise. But then...then I saw a different side of him. I saw a side that I wish you could see. A side that's sensitive and clever and..."

I sighed. I didn't know why I was talking to him like this. I guess it was just nice to have someone to talk to about this, even if he wasn't actually listening.

After another long period of waiting, I heard a gasp.

My head snapped up. "Malice?"

The demon sat up with a start. "Ocean?"

I grinned and stood up. "I'm right here."

Malice looked around. "Where am I?"

I rested a hand on his shoulder. "You're in the infirmary. You just kinda...collapsed. I don't know how or why. You just did."

Malice stared straight forward. "I don't...I don't remember anything."

"That's okay," I said with a small smile. "I'm just glad you're okay."

Malice laid back down. "Oh yeah?"

"Yeah." I lowered my eyes. "Sometimes you're the only one around here who keeps me sane. Without you, my life would pretty much suck right now."

Malice smiled weakly. "Really?"

I smiled back. "Really. Now do us both a favor and get some rest or something. I'm tired of babysitting you."

Malice stretched. "Alright. But first...there's something I need to tell you. Something I realized before I...you know."

"What is it?"

"It's just..." Malice stared out the window. "This world is a big place. And I'm sure there's somewhere that I won't be treated like a..._servant_."

I stared at him in shock. "Malice...what are you saying?"

Malice sighed. "I'm saying that I want to leave. And soon. I don't know when or where I want to go...but at this point, anywhere is better than here."

He slipped back into unconsciousness without another word.

* * *

**Ghirahim's POV**

After returning to my room, I picked up the last of my books. As I lazily turned each page, something caught my eye. It was the Goddess Hylia, praying at the shrine connected to Skyview Temple. Then, it showed a tablet. This tablet was a faded white, with a faint map of the Surface etched into it. In the bottom-left portion, there was a small, red ruby. I studied the ancient artifact depicted for a few moments before its meaning sunk in. The portion of the map on the tablet was of a familiar realm. And if it symbolized the location of the temple she went to next...

"Then that means..."

Suddenly, Leal burst into my room.

"What do _you_ want?" I snapped. "Can't you see I'm in the middle of an important revelation?"

"My Lord..." he panted. "Bokoblins...reported..."

"Not another Rebel attack, I hope?"

Leal shook his head.

I sighed in exasperation. "Then spit it out, you blubbering fool!"

Leal took a deep breath. "It's the Spirit Maiden."

I lept out of my chair, making a horrid screeching sound as I got to my feet. "What? What about her?"

"They found her. A patrol of bokoblins encountered her. I've received word from them that they've apprehended her. They have her chained in the nearest temple."

I couldn't believe my ears. After all my time of searching and searching, a group of brainless bokoblins actually managed to find her! I was almost impressed.

Almost.

I felt a smile creep across my face. "This is excellent news, Leal. Well done, my friend."

Leal appeared embarrassed at my compliment.

"It was nothing on my part, My Lord. The bokoblins were the ones to find her."

I ignored him and let my mind wander to my new plans. There would be preparations, yes, but I had a feeling that this was it. This was the day that I would find the Spirit Maiden, and my Master would rise once more.

"Where did they find her?" I asked.

"Eldin Volcano." The servant answered.

I laughed out loud, my light heart making me feel positively giggly.

"Of _course _it would be Eldin Volcano! I knew it!" I exclaimed, practically skipping about my room.

"My Lord..?"

"Ah, this is _wonderful_!" I exclaimed. "This solves all my problems.

"My Lord—"

I smiled and stretched out my arms. "Oh, and just imagine how pleased Master will be when he finds out I have her. The thought of that is so _delightful_!"

"My Lord!"

I turned my head to face the servant. "Yes?"

Leal looked out the window. "It's getting dark. You should get getting, lest something happens to her."

"Oh, I will." I assured him. "But first..." I smiled. "This little occasion calls for a..._celebration._"

* * *

**Marissa's POV**

I felt only one thing as I walked into the dining room of Ghirahim's manor:

Confusion. Like, a lot of it.

Apparently Ghirahim had summoned everyone of status (and me) for some sort of celebratory feast. I was still not entirely sure why I was invited, or why we even celebrating. All I knew was that when I walked in, Ghirahim looked too happy. _Waaay_ too happy.

"What's this about?" I asked, taking my seat at his side.

Ghirahim beamed from the head of the table. "You'll just have to wait and see."

"Oh goody." I muttered to myself.

I waited in silence as the other demons invited slowly found their way into the dining room. Ghirahim refused to divulge any information until everyone had arrived.

"Now," he began, getting to his feet. "I suppose you are all wondering why I have gathered you here tonight."

Impatient murmurs ran along the table. I exchanged glances with a pale Malice, who leaned against a nearby wall in the back. Apparently almost dying didn't excuse him from his duties as a servant. I raised my eyebrows, and he shrugged in equal confusion.

"The answer is simple." Ghirahim went on. "We've found her."

I stiffened. He couldn't mean...

Shocked chatter broke out among the listening nobles.

"Quiet please!" Ghirahim interrupted. "As I was saying, a brave patrol of bokoblins have discovered the Spirit Maiden in Eldin Volcano. They have apprehended her, and I shall retrieve her at the conclusion of this feast."

_No... _I thought in horror. _It can't be!_

Then, I remembered that this happens in the game, too. And I don't recall it turning out so well for Ghirahim.

I let out a breath of strained relief. _It's going to be alright. Impa will save her. Yes, that's what will happen._

I turned back towards Ghirahim as he continued.

"Because of this pleasing turn of events," he was saying, "I have found it in my heart to provide all of my supporters with a fanciful feast. The cooks will be out momentarily."

Platnox beamed, winking at me from across the table. "Yes. Food!"

I rolled my eyes and looked down at my dinner plate. I didn't think I could eat anything. Not with this potential disaster weighing so heavy in the air. What if I messed something up, and Impa didn't get there in time? What then? Everything would be ruined!

I tightened my grip around the spoon that was set out before me.

"You don't look so well, Sky Child. Are you ill?"

"Wha..?" I blinked in confusion. Ghirahim, who was now sitting, was staring at me expectantly.

"Oh...erm..." I cleared my throat. "Yeah. Just...tired.

Ghirahim chuckled. "You must be exhausted. You almost look as pale as that friend of yours!" he nodded to Malice.

"Yeah..." I quickly switched the subject back to him. "And what about you? Have you slept much recently?"

"I've had enough." Ghirahim answered. "And that should increase after my Master returns."

"I don't know..." I said. "Do you really think he'll let you take it easy?"

Ghirahim shrugged. "No...but I won't have to work tirelessly to revive him, so that will improve my situation."

"Yeah, he'll just make you do more dumb stuff instead."

Ghirahim's glass stopped halfway to his mouth. "What are you saying?"

I dropped my gaze. "It's just...something I've been meaning to talk to you about for a while now. Do you really think you're doing the right—"

I was interrupted as the cooks entered the room, carrying dozens of plates of food.

Platnox's eyes gleamed, and he piled several metric tons of food onto his plate.

Before I could take Ghirahim's attention from his own plate, one of the other nobles started up a conversation about who knows what. And after that ended, noble after noble kept walking up to Ghirahim to congratulate him. I lowered my gaze and focused on picking at the small portion of food on my plate. I had no idea what it was.

Then, before I knew it, I was in the same situation as every other social occasion I'd attended in my world. Feeling shy and short of words, I had nothing to say, so I just listened halfheartedly to the conversations going on around me.

"Why so taciturn, my Little Remlit?" Ghirahim asked. "This is a festive occasion. You should be as merry as the rest of us."

I shrugged.

Bored, Ghirahim started up a new conversation with Platnox. I tried to block out the sound of many voices and laughter echoing throughout the room. I felt myself becoming distant, traveling to a place in my mind that only I could find. I almost didn't notice when Ghirahim got to his feet once more.

"Let's complete this feast, shall we?" He suggested. The table all muttered in agreement.

"Now, Ghirahim said. "What good is an occasion like this...without a toast?"

He looked around in satisfaction as the nobles all grinned in realization.

"Servants!" Ghirahim turned towards the crowd hovering around the edges of the room. "Bring out that bottle of wine we've been saving. I think this is a worthy occasion."

Platnox's face broke into a bright smile. "Ghiri, you clever thing!"

Ghirahim responded with a wolfish grin at his foster brother.

After a minute or two, Malice and the other servants returned.

I watched as they began pouring a serving in everyone's glass. Before I could stop him, one of the servants poured me some as well. Disgust welled up in my throat at the thought of the alcohol.

As Malice passed me, he bent down to mutter something in my ear.

"It's really strong," he hissed in a voice that was barely audible. He clutched his nose and shook his head. I nodded. It wasn't like I was considering drinking it anyway. I was underage, after all.

Ghirahim took his glass and stood up. "To success, and to my Master: our King; the great Demise." He raised his glass.

"To Demise," everyone but me echoed, doing the same. I watched as everyone prepared to take a drink. I raised the cup closer to my face. Maybe I'd pretend to take a sip. Then at least I wouldn't offend anyone.

As I considered this, a foul, strong scent reached my nose, making me want to wretch. Is that really what wine smells like? Or...

Ghirahim tilted his glass. Before the edge of his gold chalice touched his lips, I snapped.

"Wait!" I exclaimed, standing up. Within a moment, everyone froze, their eyes on me.

"What is it, Sky Child?" Ghirahim asked, a hint of annoyance in his voice.

"It...smells funny..."I muttered.

Ghirahim blinked in shock. "It..._smells funny? _You ruined my toast because it '_smells funny_'?"

I tensed up, my heart racing. Everyone was looking at me...glaring at me.

_Stop it! Stop looking at me!_ I thought, panic setting in. I didn't want to be in the center of attention. I was stupid. So, so, _so, _stupid.

"I...er..." My throat went dry.

Ghirahim sighed. "Ignore my dense guard. I doubt she's ever smelled wine."

The crowd laughed uncertainly. Platnox rolled his eyes. Then he went ahead and took a long sip.

Ghirahim fixed me with a hard look. "Take a seat, you foolish girl. And please, keep future interruptions to a minimum."

I nodded and sat, feeling humiliated and chastised. People kept looking at me, and I felt my face and eyes burn. I clenched my fists under the table. I wished with every fiber of my being that I could just melt into the wood of the chair.

Platnox shook his head at me. I watched as Ghirahim lifted his glass back up to his mouth. Just before the red liquid passed his lips, I heard a gasp. I looked across the table to see Platnox, a look of pain on his face. He stiffened and moaned, clutching his stomach. Then, he let out a blood-curdling screech and fell on his side. A line of foam trailed out of his mouth, becoming thicker by the moment. Ghirahim and the other nobles watched, frozen in shock. I snapped out of my stunned stupor as Malice rushed to the fallen demon's side, his eyes wide.

"I...I don't understand."

I jumped out of my chair and knelt near Platnox.

"Malice...is there a chance that wine was...poisoned?"

"_Poison_?" I heard the word ripple through the table in shock.

"It can't be..." Malice shook his head, even more pale than he was before. "I would never..."

I watched Platnox writhe on the ground. Then, I sprung into action. I bolted down the hall to the hospital wing, running as fast as I could.

"Herb!" I shouted, running inside. "Herb! It's poison!"

"What?" The healer's head shot up from his work. "What happened?"

I explained the situation; Herb was out the door in a heartbeat.

* * *

I sat at the bedside of a friend for the second time that day. Platnox was alive, but only just. Herb had given him a potion that would slow down the poison, but we didn't have much time.

"What was in the wine?" I asked.

Herb glanced over his shoulder. "Hemlock."

I stared at him in surprise. I had no idea they had something like hemlock in this world.

Herb walked over to me. "Tell me again why you stopped Ghirahim from drinking it."

I shrugged. "I don't know...it smelled funny I guess."

"That makes no sense." He muttered.

"Why?"

Herb blinked. "Hemlock has no smell. It's odorless, and therefore nearly undetectable. The only way I could it was hemlock was by the symptoms. Other than that, it's a stealthy assassin. The question is, how could you tell?"

"I don't know!" I exclaimed. "I guess I'm just on the alert...trying to keep Ghirahim safe, you know? It just didn't smell right."

Herb sniffed a sample that he had taken from Platnox's chalice. "It just smells like normal wine to me..."

I shrugged. "I told you. I have no idea."

"Neither do I." Herb sighed. "Unless..." He looked up. "have you ever smelled wine before?"

I shook my head. "No. My parents don't drink. That was the closest I've gotten to drinking alcohol, just smelling it like that.

"I see..." Herb smiled. "It makes perfect sense."

"It does?"

The healer nodded. "Wine has a very distinct, strong smell. To people like me, who know the smell, it is normal. However to you...I suppose it smelled wrong."

"I guess so." I laughed despite myself. "So what you're saying is...I accidentally stopped Ghirahim from drinking hemlock?"

Herb chuckled. "I suppose you did. You take your job seriously, don't you?"

I nodded. "Yes. I do."

Suddenly, the door flung open. Malice came racing in.

"Is he alright? Oh please tell me he's okay!"

"He will live." Herb assured him. "I have given him a potion that will stall the poison, and then I'll give him the antidote as soon as I'm done preparing it."

Malice let out a sigh of relief. "Thank the goddesses."

I watched him sit down at the other side of Platnox's bed.

He stared at me with a pleading look on his face. "I swear, I never wanted this to happen. I'd never poison Platnox! He's my friend!"

I smiled at him weakly. "Don't worry, Al. I know you'd never poison anyone."

The ginger demon smiled weakly. "Thanks, Ocean. That means a lot."

I nodded. Then I looked down at Platnox. His breathing was now more even. When we'd arrived back at the dining room, he'd been inches from death. I remembered seeing Malice at his side, horror all over his face. There was no way he would have known about the poison.

"It's obvious who really did this." I found myself saying.  
"Who?" Herb asked, curiosity in his voice.

"The Rebels. They must have been trying to assassinate Ghirahim."

"But Ocean..." Herb cut in. "That's impossible. Ghirahim has been saving this wine in his cellar for years now. There's no way they could've entered without being spotted. Not to mention they would have to have had to open the bottle to insert the poison." He turned to Malice. "You were there. Did it look opened?"

Malice shook his head. "No. I don't think so."

"So then who else would it be?" I asked.

Herb lowered his eyes. "It must have been someone who could have quickly poisoned it. Someone who had access to it. Someone who came into contact with it before it was served. Someone who..."

"What are you saying, Herb?" We all jumped. Ghirahim was surveying us all, his eyes narrowed. However, I could somehow see underlying weariness beneath his suspicious gaze.

"How long were you standing there?" I asked. Ghirahim glared at me without answering.

"Answer me, Herb." He commanded.

"As I was saying," the healer continued. "This murderer, whoever he or she is..."

"Yes?"

"One thing is for certain. Whoever they are, they were able to poison your prized wine without being noticed. So I've concluded that this person who wants you dead..."

"_Yes?_"

Herb took a deep breath. "They live in the manor."

* * *

**And so, the plot thickens!**

**Wow! We're almost at a 300 reviews. I'm so honored! You guys are the best readers I could ever ask for! Please, keep it up!**

**Anyway as we get farther into this, you can expect more plot twists, surprises, cliffhangers, and of course, more Ghirahim.**

**If you live in the U.S. of A, enjoy the fireworks! And it would do you well to remember what this holiday is really about. **

**Bye!**

**~CatWhiskers24~ **


	48. Chapter 46: Paranoia

**Hiya! Happy Friday! What's new? **

**The Shy Potato: Yeah, later you guys will find out how Ghirahim and Fi know each other. Funny story actually...**

**Legend of Fanime: Don't worry. My brothers tease me about Ghirahim, too. And they don't even know that I'm writing a story about him lol...**

**Discountpinapple: Haha, sorry, but I have to keep you guys on the edge of your seat, don't I? It kind of comes with being an author.**

**And anyway, chapter, right, okay! Here:**

**Disclaimer: I do not own LoZ, just my OC's and alternate plot.**

* * *

**Marissa's POV**

"This assassin, whoever they are...they live in the manor."

Everyone in the room was stunned into silence at Herb's words.

"So you're saying...they're a traitor?" Malice asked nervously.

Herb nodded. "That's my best guess."

I turned to look at Ghirahim. His face was unreadable, his eyes narrowed and his lips pressed into a taut line.

Then, without warning, he started forward and grabbed my forearm. Before I could react, we had teleported away.

"Would you quit doing that!" I whined, staggering as he let go of me. I looked around, blinking as I realized where we were. "Why are we in your room?"

Without answering, Ghirahim crossed the room to his window and swept the curtains shut.

"What's this about?"

Ghirahim checked the lock on the door, and then he turned to face me.

"We need to find out who did this." Ghirahim announced. "I need to know who's after me."

I folded my arms. "We? Why me?"

The demon lord blinked. "Aren't you my guard? You did stop me from drinking the hemlock, after all."

"Oh, no." I drawled. "I'm just you're 'daft guard'. You don't need help from a 'foolish girl' like me."

Ghirahim sighed. "I apologize for my temper at dinner. I did not understand that you were trying to help. And, frankly, I must admit; I'm still shocked that you detected the poison."

"So am I." I admitted.

"In fact, the only way you could have known to stop me is if..." suddenly his eyes narrowed. "You...knew it was poisoned."

He advanced towards me. "How do I know you aren't involved with the murderer?"

My eyes stretched wide. "I-I'm not! That's ridiculous! And besides, if I _did _help with the poisoning, then why would I stop you from drinking it?"

Ghirahim sighed. "I don't know." He sat down. "I don't..."

His head hung limply, as if he didn't have enough energy to sit up.

"Why do they want me dead?" He asked.

I shrugged and sat next to him. "You know, Ghira, you can't please everyone. Every leader has a group who supports them...and a group who doesn't."

Ghirahim's shoulders slumped. "I know. Though sometimes I wish Demise were back. He always seemed to have everyone's support."

"Well, yeah, because he probably scared everyone into keeping their head down. People aren't afraid of you."

Ghirahim sighed. "You may have a point."

I tentatively slipped into the conversation that I'd been waiting to have with him. "You know Ghirahim, I've been meaning to ask...why do you even serve Demise in the first place? I mean, if you stop letting him push you around, then you could be your own leader. You could rule in the way you want, not as a temporary, stand-in leader. Why resurrect Demise when all he does is use and abuse you?"

Ghirahim bowed his head again. "I told you. It's more complicated than that. Demise is my master. He's the only master that I'll ever have. And it's my responsibility to serve him."

"But it's not!" I protested. "You're your own person. You don't need him!"

"Yes, I do."

"Why?"

"For the last time," Ghirahim growled. "It's complicated."

"Then explain. Why do you need him?"

"Because he's the only one I have left!" Ghirahim snapped, his voice raised. "He's my master and protector. He kept me safe when my parents abandoned me."

"Wait...I thought your parents died?" I asked in confusion.

"They did." Ghirahim sighed. "When Hylia invaded our village, they fled. They left me to burn. But they couldn't escape. Hylia's forces hunted them down and killed them. Demise found me and took me in. I would be dead without him. I owe him my life. So that is why I must resurrect him. I have a debt to pay."

I was stunned into silence for a few moments. Then, I spoke again, my voice low. "But...haven't you already repayed that debt? After all the times you've risked your life in battle for him, shouldn't you two be even?"

"No." Ghirahim shook his head. "Nothing I can ever do will make up for what he did for me."

"More like what he did _to _you." I muttered.

"You mean the minor bodily injuries he gave me? Those were nothing."

"Ghirahim, he could have killed you!" I said. "And the longer he has to wait, the more things that stall his resurrection, the angrier he'll get. And who will he take that anger out on? You."

"Then it is my duty to sustain my punishment."

"No it's not!" I protested. "You're a person, not a punching bag!"

Ghirahim turned to look at me, confusion and anger in his eyes. "Why do you care? Why turn me on my master?"

"Because..." I hesitated. There were so many reasons, but right now, I knew the best way to explain.

I wrapped my arms around him, and he stiffened in surprise. "I don't want to see you in pain anymore."

Ghirahim hesitated before awkwardly setting his hands on my back. "Pain is weakness. Surely you know that."

"I do but..." I bit my lip. "Sometimes Demise takes it too far."

I rested my chin on his shoulder and then traced my fingertips along one of the faded scars on his neck.

Ghirahim shivered and moved back. "You know nothing about those scars."

"Are you sure about that?"

"I deserved them." Ghirahim muttered.

"No you didn't! No one deserves to be whipped like that! Especially not by the master they're trying so hard to revive!"

Ghirahim glared at me. "I told you..." he trailed off. "Wait a moment. How did you know about my lashing?"

"It doesn't matter." I said quickly. "What matters is that I want what's best for you. And I don't think that involves Demise."

Ghirahim took a few deep breaths. "I did not bring you here to discuss my master. We need to find the suspects who tried to murder me. It's your responsibility as my guard to help me investigate this."

"Trust me; I will." I assured him. "I won't let you down."

The demon lord took a deep breath. "Good. Now, who in this manor would want me dead?"

I shrugged. "I have no clue. I don't know very many people. But I _do _know that whoever it is, either really dislikes you, or they have a reason to want you dead. Do you have any ideas?"

Ghirahim thought for a moment. "Perhaps a few."

I smiled. "Great. Now enough of this. You should really get some rest."

Ghirahim stood up. "_You _should rest, Sky Child. I have other matters to attend to."

I froze. What if Impa hadn't saved Zelda yet? Everything would be ruined if Ghirahim went to retrieve her.

"Wait!" I said suddenly.

Ghirahim stared at me. "Yes?"

"They just apprehended her today. You can wait one night. What could happen to her? Besides, the killer might be lurking about the manor, hoping to follow up on his last attempt. You should stay here; where it's safe."

Ghirahim thought for a moment. Then he nodded reluctantly. "I suppose you're right. Very well; I shall wait until tomorrow."

I nodded. "Well...good night, I guess."

"Yes, alright. Goodnight." Ghirahim said back.

With that, I headed out of his room.

* * *

A loud clap of thunder woke me up late at night. I sat up with a start. I realized I was breathing fast.

I looked around my room. The thunder had made me wide awake. I walked towards my window and looked out. It was cool, watching the lightning late at night like this. I didn't see any tornadoes near the manor, so I felt myself relaxing as I watched the storm. I laid in my circular window with my face pressed against the glass, watching the lightning and rain pelt the land.

Just as my eyelids were growing heavy, I heard a knock on my door. Then the door opened.

"Having trouble sleeping, are we, Sky Child?"

I turned around to look at Ghirahim. "Nah. I just like a good thunderstorm."

"Hmph." Ghirahim scoffed. "You look nervous."

"I'm not."

"Are you quite sure you're not scared?" Ghirahim taunted.

"Pretty sure."

The noble leaned against my door frame. "You know, if you're feeling nervous, you can come and sleep with _me._"

My mouth gaped as I stared at him. "Who do you think you are, you perverted little..."

"I merely meant resting in my room for the night. I'd gladly lend you half my bed, though you seem to have a problem with that."

"Oh."

"What else did you think I meant?" Ghirahim asked with a grin.

I rolled my eyes. "I think you get the picture."

Ghirahim's smirk grew. "My, my, Sky Child, you have a dirty little mind!"

I rolled my eyes. "Right."

"So what do you say to my offer?"

I smiled sweetly at him. "I say I'd rather take my chances with the storm."

Ghirahim smile faded. "Very well. As you wish."

I hesitated. "Wait..._you _couldn't sleep either, could you? The storm was keeping you up, wasn't it?"

The demon lord stared at my floor. "I may have been less asleep than I would prefer..."

I smiled in realization. "You just wanted me to sleep in your room because _you _wanted company."

Ghirahim chuckled, shaking his head. "That is a bit less than true. Now, if you wish to decline my offer, then I bid you goodnight once more."

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever. Goodnight, Ghiri."

I watched as Ghirahim backed out of my room. Then, still smiling, I returned to my window. I waited for a few minutes. Then, with a sigh, I sat up.

I crossed the hall to Ghirahim's room and poked my head inside. I listened. Ghirahim didn't look asleep. He was just lying there.

I cleared my throat. "You awake?" I called, just to be sure.

"I am now," he lied.

I walked in. A burst of thunder made us both jump.

"Come crawling back to me, have you?" Ghirahim taunted.

"Nope. But I thought you could use some company." I sat on the chair. "Ghirahim, why can't you sleep?"

Ghirahim was silent for a moment.

"Would you be able to rest if you knew there was someone in your manor who desires your destruction?"

I nodded in realization. "You're worried they'll try to kill you in your sleep."

"In a sense, I suppose so." Ghirahim admitted.

I approached the bed. "Alright. But they won't get to you if I'm watching."

Ghirahim looked at me in surprise. "You're not saying you're going to stay up all night, keeping watch?"

I nodded. "Yup."

I reached for one of the blankets and pulled it up to his chin, tucking him in.

"Now try and rest. I'm going to sit here," I said, gesturing to the chair near his bed.

Ghirahim stared at me for a moment with a strange expression on his face. Then he nodded. "Very well."

I nodded back and sat at his desk.

I waited for a while, my eyes darting around the room. Soon, Ghirahim's breathing became even with sleep. I listened to the quiet sound of his exhaling. He didn't snore. He barely made any noise at all. I stood up and moved to the edge of the bed. He looked so peaceful when he was asleep.

I smiled faintly in the dark and brushed my thumb against his cheek. He groaned faintly but he didn't stir. Satisfied, I returned to my seat. I hadn't been lying. I planned to stay up all night, keeping watch. It wouldn't be so bad.

Soon, however, I began to get tired. I started zoning out, and then I think I may have dozed off. I tried my best to stay awake, though.

In one of my near-sleep spells, I was jerked back to consciousness by the sound of a gasp. I stiffened as I heard something from across the room.

"Ghirahim?"

I heard another moan, and I raced to the noble's side. He lay, thrashing under the covers. I wondered if he was seizing again, or if it was a nightmare.

"Ghirahim!" I called again, shaking his shoulder.

He shouted out and I jumped. Then he thrashed around again, sweat pouring down his forehead.

"Stop! Don't hurt me!" He shouted. "I'm trying! I just need a little more time!"

"It's not real, Ghirahim! Wake up!" I pleaded.

Without thinking, I leaned forward and pulled him into my arms, holding his body close to me. I could feel his heart hammering against my chest, his breathing nearly shaking me.

I held him closer, and suddenly the tenseness in his limbs and body lessened.

His breathing quickened all at once, and then slowed.

"Ghira?" I whispered quietly, hoping that he was beginning to stir.

Ghirahim laid in my arms a moment longer.

"S...Sky Child?"

"Yeah. I'm right here."

Ghirahim groaned and sat up. "I suppose you see now why I struggle to sleep."

"What happened?"I asked, gently rubbing his arm.

Ghirahim took a few deep breaths. "It was nothing...just a nasty nightmare."

I gave him a long look. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine."

I stared at my hands. "I'm sorry...I had no idea you had these..."

Ghirahim placed a finger to my lips. "Shh. You needn't worry. I'll be fine."

I placed a hand on his chest, making him flinch. "Your heart's beating like mad. You must have been terrified."

"I'm fine." Ghirahim insisted.

"You will be...after you get some sleep." I said.

"What?"

I shifted so that I was sitting with my back against the headboard of his bed.

"I'm gonna sit right here. And if you have a bad dream...I'll try and wake you up."

Ghirahim didn't respond right away. Then, he took a deep breath. "Why are you doing this?"

I shrugged. "For you. That's all you need to know. Now shut up and get some shuteye."

Ghirahim seemed too exhausted to argue, so he laid back against his pillow.

"Goodnight, Ghirahim," I said one last time.

Ghirahim shifted around a bit longer, trying to get comfortable. Then, he turned slightly, lying with his head against my arm. He took a deep breath and then reluctantly closed his eyes. I watched him for a few moments, resting my hand on his side. He relaxed slightly at my touch.

"You'll be alright. I've got you. No one can hurt you now." I said quietly.

Absentmindedly, I began gently rubbing his side and back.

Soon, his breathing grew even, and he fell asleep, peaceful once more.

* * *

I stayed up all night. _All night._ So, basically, the next morning I felt like death. It was all I could do to get up.

I looked at Ghirahim's sleeping form. It felt strange, sitting there as he fell asleep at my side. It was a good feeling. Like...really good. I liked how it felt as Ghirahim slept with his head against me. I felt...needed. Useful. Like I was actually making a difference in his life.

I smiled at him once, and then I left the room. It was still early, but I didn't want anyone to see me leaving his chambers and make...assumptions.

I entered my room and closed the door. I sat on my bed for a while. I wasn't sure whether or not I should take a short nap or just wait until others in the manor began to rouse. I ended up zoning out and daydreaming while sitting there.

Soon enough, someone knocked on the door, and then opened it without waiting for a response.

"Morning, Sky Child," Ghirahim called cheerily.

I looked up at him. He was acting like his normal, confident self, as if last night had never happened.

"You sleep well?" I asked.

Ghirahim nodded. "Of course. And you?"

I raised my eyebrows, and Ghirahim chuckled quietly.

"What do you think?" I asked dryly.

"True enough," the noble admitted.

I yawned, stretched, and stood up. "So what's on tap for today?"

"Well," Ghirahim said thoughtfully. "I have..._matters_ to attend to. In the meantime, I expect you shall find a good use for your time."

I grinned mischievously. "Don't worry. I'll find something to do."

The noble nodded. "Very well. I shall see you this evening."

And with that, he was gone.

I bit my lip as I watched him leave. No doubt he was leaving to retrieve Zelda. But hopefully, since it had already been a day, Impa would already have rescued her.

Like always, I changed into my knight uniform and retrieved my phone from its new hiding spot (between the wall and the desk), slipping it into my boot, and then left the room. As I walked down the stairs, I passed Malice.

"Hey!" I greeted him.

"Hi." He yawned. "What's up?"

I shrugged. "Not much. I guess I'm gonna start investigating the whole hemlock accident, so that's cool."

Malice frowned. "Investigate?"

I nodded. "Yea, like try to find the jerk who tried to murder Ghirahim."

Malice blinked. "Oh. I see. Isn't that a bit dangerous?"

"Such is the life of a guard."

Malice didn't seem convinced. "Do you have any idea who would've done this?"

"Nope. You?"

Malice shook his head. "No clue. But they must have had a reason."

I nodded in agreement. "Yeah." I laughed quietly.

"What?"

"Oh, nothing." I smiled.

"What?" Malice insisted.

I sighed. "Well, I was just thinking, since I'm looking into this crime, trying to find out who this murderer is...they'll probably end up killing me instead."

Malice's eyes widened. "And you find that funny?"

"No," I laughed again. "I just laugh when I'm nervous."

Malice thought for a moment. "I wouldn't worry. I mean, if you keep a low profile, no one will know who you are. And besides, I have a feeling whoever did it wouldn't actually be concerned. You're just a young Skyloftian. You're not exactly a world-class detective."

I nodded. "You're probably right."

Malice stared straight forward. "Remember when I told you that I wanted to leave?"

My mind froze. "Yeah..."

My servant friend was quiet for a moment. "I think that time is coming. And soon."

"What?"

Malice sighed. "Things are getting pretty intense here. I don't want Violet to be caught up in all this again."

I couldn't help but agree that he had a point. And yet, I really didn't want Malice to leave. While we had our occasional disputes, he was still probably my most reliable friend here. I didn't want him to leave me with bipolar Lord Fabuhim. I mean, Ghirahim and I had our moments, like last night, but I still wasn't sure what to think about him. Talking to Malice was always a nice break from having to deal with the egotistical noble.

And yet, I knew it was my job as his friend to support him. Deep down, I knew he had a point.

"Alright. When the time comes...just tell me how I can help." I conceded.

Malice smiled grimly. "Thanks, Ocean."

I shook my head. "Don't mention it. Now, why don't we do something productive with this time? Ghirahim is gonna be away for a while now."

The boy raised an eyebrow. "Oh yeah? What do you propose we do?"

I shrugged. "It's been, like, forever since Ghirahim and I were supposed to practice my magic. I still don't know what I can do. You wanna help me instead?"

Malice nodded. "That's probably a good idea. Besides, it would be good to figure out your forte."

"What?"

"You know. The one skill that you are especially gifted with."

I thought for a moment. Hadn't Hylia said something about a gift of some sort? Something that would help me on my mission? I would really like to know what that is.

"What's yours again?"

Malice blushed. "Summoning magic barriers and shields."

"Oh."

"Yeah, I know." Malice chuckled. "Pretty dumb, right?"

"No!" I said hastily. "It's just, I've never seen you summon one."

"Yeah you have." Malice protested. "Remember the Rebel attack in the barracks? I used one briefly to protect you."

"Oh yeah!" I smiled. "Thanks for that."

Malice nodded. They can be pretty useful when, you know, I can actually manage to summon one."

"I'm sure they're just hard to use." I sympathized.

"Not really. Most demons can use barriers. It's just, sometimes mine are more powerful than what most demons can do. Plus, I'm pretty terrible at everything else." Malice admitted.

"Oh." I was quiet for a moment. "What's Ghirahim's 'forte'?"

"I'm not sure." Malice answered. "Pretty much just melee in general."

"I see." I thought for a moment. "Do all demons have fortes?"

Malice nodded. "Yeah. And weaknesses too. There are some powers that we have little to no ability to use. Which is pretty much everything besides barriers and minor teleporting for me."

"And Ghirahim?"

"Again, I'm not sure. But I don't think he's very good at manipulating elements. And I don't think he can heal, communicate with animals, or read minds."

I nodded. "Well apparently he can't fly or breathe underwater."

Malice laughed. "Apparently not."

I stretched. "Now I really want to know what my power is."

Malice smiled. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's get started."

* * *

**Time for an epic training montage!**

**Anyway, thanks for the R&amp;R! 300 reviews! 100 follows! I'm so happy! :D**

**Cookies and pies for all y'all.**

**(::) (::) (#) (#)**

**Okay, bye!**

**~Catwhiskers24~**


	49. Chapter 47: Well Excuuuuuse Me, Impa!

**Hello loyal readers! I hope your summer has been fantastic.**

**So, yeah, I know it's been a while, but I had some writers block. While I already have most chapters planned out, this one was a chapter that I was still debating how to write. Between that and commitments I had NO IDEA about, along with my sudden decision to teach myself acoustic guitar, it has been hard to get writing time in. Anyway, I think it turned out pretty good. This is another one that includes a part from the actual game, so you'll probably recognize some of the dialogue from Ghirahim, Link, Fi, Zelda, and Impa. I wanted to show that up to this point, not much had changed with the canon characters yet.**

**Anyway, so I got a review that let me know that there is another Zelda story named _A Different Path_. I would like to thank you, The Shy Potato to care enough about my story to let me know. That really means a lot. But I checked it out, and there's nothing to be worried about. While the other story shares my title, it has an entirely different storyline. To be truthful, I don't have a very unique title. There are tons across Fanfiction similar to this name, as it can be significant to so many plots. Anyway, I wouldn't worry. Thanks for letting me know though!**

**And in addition, I would like to add, my thinking was _A Different Path_ is more the name of the whole thing, but my story is divided into parts. We are getting close to the end of the first part, which was supposed to set the stage for the rest of the books. This one, book 1, is _A Different Path: The Servant_. The next one is going to be called _The Defender_. I'm may end up switching that around, because I can't decide the order, but I know for sure the title of the third and final part. You'll have to read and find out what it is! ANd trust me, according to everyone who has read the ending so far, it will be worth the wait!**

**I've noticed you guys are excited to read more romance, and don't worry, there will be much more fluff and sappy lines. But right now, Marissa and Ghirahim are still learning to trust each other. Link and Zelda's relationship will be much more blatant. Soon, though, really soon, I promise, Marissa and Ghira will get over most of the little bumps and have a close relationship full of fluff. And, to address The Shy Potato's other question, there MAY be that thing you remembered, and I MAY have already written that scene. Not to give stuff away or anything...but...*hint hint***

** Well, that was a long A/N. So sorry.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own LOZ, just my OC's and storyline.**

* * *

**Ghirahim's POV**

The earlier the start, the sooner I would find the Spirit Maiden. And the sooner I found the Spirit Maiden, the sooner I could resurrect my master, and the happier he would be. And the happier Demise was...the happier _I'd_ be.

Oh, I could just _taste _my sweet victory. It was almost too easy. All I had to do was waltz into the Earth Temple and claim my prize. It was as easy as that.

I almost felt sentimental, looking back at how far I'd come along in my mission. Yes, I'd hit some bumps along my merry way, but I had gotten past them. Today would be the day when all my sweat and blood would finally be worth it.

I could just imagine the awards Demise had in store for me. He would make this all worth it. After today, my life would be better than ever before. Perhaps he'd relocate me into a castle. Maybe I'd request to take the girl with me. After all, she'd been of use. I may not be standing here today if it hadn't been for her. Yes, perhaps I owed her whatever came my way this fine day.

However, when I set out that day, there was one possibility that never occurred to me: They would have lost her. There was no way. It had only been one day. She couldn't have escaped, could she?

The broken chains and slaughtered bokoblins that laid before me said otherwise.

I could barely comprehend what I was seeing. I was in the heart of the Earth Temple, in the most heavily protected room, and what do I find? No Spirit Maiden, that's for sure.

My eyes scanned the room, shock and rage slowly building inside me. Sure enough, the girl was gone, and their was a large pile of slain bokoblins on the floor. I weaved between bodies, a torrent of emotions building up in my throat. How could I be so hopelessly _stupid_?Of _course _she would be gone! I never should have let my servant talk me into staying last night! I should have left! This was all her fault!

The rage boiled over me and I sent a ray of knives at the nearest wall with a simple snap of my fingers. I heard a strange gurgling noise.

Looking up, I noticed one of the bokoblins was slumped against a wall, still alive; I sped towards it.

The bokoblin turned his head to look at me as I approached, it's eyelids fluttering open.

"What. _Happened._" I demanded, attempting to keep the anger out of my voice.

"Woman wear black...so fast..." The creature croaked.

"Who was it?" I asked, making my voice sound more gentle.

"Me...no...know..."

I sighed. "Was it the girl? Was it the Spirit Maiden?"

The bokoblin shook its head. "No...woman wear black..." It repeated. "So fast. So...pain..." It moved its hand from its abdomen, revealing a large,bleeding stab wound.

"So you lost the Spirit Maiden?" I continued coolly.

"Yes...Master...sorry..." It coughed. "Barely escaped...barely survived...pain..."

I gave the wounded creature a calming smile. "Let me help you."

One swipe of my sword was all it took the end that failure of a being.

My fury was boiling inside me now. All my hope had crashed to the ground. I was no closer to achieving my goal. And to think, I rushed all the way over here in such a good mood...

I started as I heard the sound of the large locked door clicking open. Who could it be?

In all honesty, I didn't care one way or another. I wanted someone to vent my anger to. Anyone would work fine.

I leaped on top of the large skeleton hanging from the roof of the cavern to wait for the newcomer to walk forth.

* * *

**Link's POV**

I really hate volcanoes. I know that seems pretty obvious, but it really is true. After hours of walking through volcanic ash and having to inhale smoke and debris, my lungs had started to burn. Sometimes when I got to a particularly dusty part of the Earth temple I would have a coughing fit. I know I'm not supposed to be the dramatic one, but I have to admit that everything was terrible.

It took a few days to venture up the summit of Eldin volcano. I got lost a few times along the way. The Mogmas had contributed my situation. They kept sending me in the wrong direction. When I finally managed to find the temple, they kept getting in my way, talking about treasure and some woman dressed in a black cloak. I met a mysterious figure shortly after. I wasn't sure whether or not she was the woman that the Mogmas were talking about, but she _was_ wearing dark clothing. And she said something about me having to hurry up.

Now I was speeding through the temple as fast as I could. I had to make up for lost time. After returning to Skyloft last time, Gaepora had forced me to stay a few days to rest and to get ready for my next journey. Afterwards, making it to the summit of Eldin had been a long ordeal.

But that was over now. Once again, I had made it through the entire temple, and I was opening the large locked door. I could only wonder what was on the other side. Could that demon lord be waiting for me? If so, would Marissa be there, too? I hadn't seen her since Skyview temple, and I was worried for my younger friend. She was just a little girl, after all. Could she really take care of herself down here? And what about that demon, Ghira-something? Could he have done something to her for intervening?

No. She got away. I could feel it.

I pushed all these thought out of my mind as the door clicked open.

The first thing I noticed when I walked in was that the boulder I had just evaded followed me inside through the skeleton up above.

I noticed the smoky volcano air, the heat of the cavern, and its massive size. Then, I noticed the chains. Broken chains.

Fi flipped out of her sword as I stood, staring at the warped metal.

"Master, I detect Zelda's aura in the surrounding area." She followed my gaze. "I detect an especially strong reaction from this chain. I calculate the probability Zelda was bound by it recently at 95%." She looked back at me again. "I surmise Zelda was somehow able to escape and proceed along this path. I suggest we continue with all possible speed."

With a small nod, I ran forward as the spirit returned to her sheath.

I came to a long, slopped path crossing a sea of lava. I had barely made it halfway when I heard a long bout of loud, cruel laughter. My head shot up to the source; Ghirahim—yes, _that's _his name— was standing atop the head of the large, stone dragon.

"Oh, it's you," the demon sneered, a hint of disgust in his voice. He was silent for a moment, which I found strange, considering his last monologue, when he seldom stopped to breathe.

"Let me see..." he continued. "No, that's not it."

He chuckled to himself quietly. "This is so very embarrassing, but I seem to be at a loss for your name." He sneered again. "Not that it matters, really. To tell you the truth, I'm feeling a bit frustrated, and right now I just need someone to vent to."

_Oh goody._ I thought.

As if reading my thoughts, Ghirahim smirked and flicked his head back in a mighty hair flip. Then he bowed his head sadly, resting a hand on his heart, or, at least, where his heart would be if he _had _one.

"I heard my underlings had finally captured the Spirit Maiden, so of course I rushed over here. What can I say? I was excited. Flustered, even. But what did I find when I arrived? That agent of the goddess..." He trailed off, a dark look passing across his face. He lowered his voice. "She had once again..." Ghirahim cleared his throat, as if trying to keep any anger out of his voice. "You see, what I am trying to say is..."

He paused for dramatic effect.

"_That goddess serving dog escaped with the girl!_" The demon shouted, waving his arms in exaggerated frustration.

"I MUST have the spirit maiden in order to resurrect my master! I MUST HAVE HER!" Ghirahim went on, truly sounding frustrated this time. Then he looked away, putting his hands on his hips.

"...I got a little carried away there, didn't I? I don't deal well with...complications to plans I've laid out so carefully. It's a character flaw of mine."

_Yeah, THAT'S your character flaw... _I thought in annoyance. Did this guy _ever stop?_

That twisted smirk returned to Ghirahim's face. "Ah, but something good can still come from this day! I've had all this bottled-up anger smoldering inside me, and now I can release it. There's someone special I'd like you to meet. Oh, don't be shy! I need to vent all this unhealthy anger, and your agony is such a great stress reliever."

I reached for my sword, closing my fingers around the hilt as he continued.

"It won't take more than a few moments with my friend before you're charred to a satisfying crisp. And let me tell you, that will put a spring in my step!"

The demon lord raised his hand, preparing to teleport away.

"Wait!" I heard myself shout.

Ghirahim hesitated. "Is there a problem?"

I took a deep breath. "Is Marissa alright?"

Ghirahim stared at me in utter confusion. "Who or _what _is a _Marissa?_"

"That girl who was with you at Skyview Temple—Marissa—...You haven't hurt her, have you?"

Ghirahim was silent. For once, there was no trace of his gloating demeanor on his face. His expression was one of confusion; anger even. For half a second, I thought he looked...betrayed. Then the look was gone.

"That is none of your business, now is it, Sky Child? But if you must know, I have no idea who you are talking about. Now, I don't have time to talk to the likes of _you. _I have other more important matters to attend to."

And then he was gone, leaving only a cloud of diamonds in his place.

Within seconds, the entire cavern began to shake, and the stone dragon head opened it's mouth, spitting the boulder onto the path I was standing on. I had to dive to the side to avoid being flattened. The boulder tumbled down the walkway, crashing into the other end. A large cloud of smoke enveloped the rolling stone, and from it emerged a new formation. The boulder had cracks and bulges on its surface. The cracks filled with lava, and spindle-like legs shot from its sides. It scrabbled around for a moment, like a newborn creature taking its first steps. Then it opened a large mouth, gasping in its first breath of air in its new world.

The beast looked like a remarkably igneous spider, but its roar chilled me to the bone, sounding like something straight out of one of my nightmares. Within moments its body was engulfed in flames, and it charged towards me, its jaws agape.

It took me a few moments to process the new danger, and then I was running, running for my life.

* * *

Battered, bruised, and burned, I emerged from the cavern, bringing an air of triumph with me. After figuring out that the monster had an unhealthy appetite for bombs, I had disposed of my enemy quickly. I couldn't help but feel guilty as I watched it expire, its body shriveling into a purple cloud of dust. Thankfully, I didn't think the creature was very sentient. It released a burst of diamonds upon its death, so I preferred to assume that it was just the result of one of Ghirahim's tricks. Likely, he just used a bit of magic to create a more formidable enemy than a regular boulder.

And yet...I couldn't help thinking about all the creatures I'd killed to get here. Everyone was telling me that I was some sort of hero, but I didn't feel like one. I was starting to wonder whether this was all with it.

All these thoughts somehow vanished from my mind when I saw Zelda.

She had her back to me. I couldn't see her face, but her perfect golden hair and her petite figure was unmistakable.

I caught my breath. Finally, after all this time, I'd found her. Everything would be okay now. It was over. We could go home.

Zelda began walked towards a tall pillar of light. Suddenly, she froze. My childhood friend slowly turned around to look at me.

For a moment, time froze. Then, we were running towards each other.

"Link!" Zelda exclaimed. She was stopped in her tracks by the arm of the other woman, whom I hadn't noticed before. She wore a dark blue outfit with an orange skirt. A tear was painted in white below her left eye, and the sign of the Sheikah was painted in orange on her forehead. Her saffron yellow hair was twisted into a long, narrow strip on the right side of her face.

Sadness filled Zelda's cobalt eyes, reflecting my own devastated expression.

"You cannot go to him, Your Grace." The woman told Zelda grimly. "Remember what we discussed. Restrain yourself. Focus on the task at hand."

Zelda dipped her head grimly, turning away. "I...I have to go. I'm sorry, Link."

The girl lifted her head and took a few determined steps into the golden portal, which immediately swallowed her into its light.

I gasped in horror and ran forward. There was no _way _I was letting her get away from me again. I didn't go through all this for her to just leave me!

At the last moment, the woman whipped around, and I stopped immediately.

The woman's eyes flashed. "It took you far too long to get here. Looking at you, I fear the goddess is mistaken in her choice of agents. If this failure is any indication, you have no hope of defending Her Grace from those who seek to assail her."

I felt as though I had been slapped. I had questioned Hylia's choice from day one, but I didn't understand why this woman was trying to destroy my already meager confidence.

However, on top of that, all I could think about was that this woman was the only thing standing between Zelda and I. There was only one thing I felt: Frustration.

The woman's lips twitched in a twisted smile. "Do my words anger you, boy? Do my words sting?" She lifted her narrow chin. "Let them. If I had not come when I did, your Zelda would already have fallen into the hands of the enemy. The truth of it is you were late. You were late, and you failed to protect her."

I flinched. She had just voiced what I had been afraid of all along. Because as it was, I was more than willing to chase Zelda around the Surface, but to play the part of some chosen hero...I didn't think I could do that. I mean, why me? I'm not strong, nor incredibly wise. I'm not even fast. I hesitate before killing enemies, and I barely make it through any battle alive. The old woman may think I'm a hero, Hylia may think I'm a hero, and even Zelda might think the same. But in reality, when I thought of myself, 'hero' was the last word that came to mind. I'm just the shy kid who's so quiet that people have mistaken me for being mute. Nothing about me is heroic.

But sure, I was willing to try to be the hero. In all honesty, I wasn't afraid of injury or dying. As long as I ddin't let Zelda down, I'd be fine with anything. But this woman had just confirmed my fear: I was almost too late. Ghirahim was mere minutes from capturing my best friend. And I couldn't let that happen. Not if I was still breathing.

The woman glanced back towards the portal. "I sent Zelda ahead to learn more of the fate in which she is destined to play a part. Listen well, chosen one. If you wish to be of help to Her Grace, you must summon a shred of courage and face the trials laid out before you. Only when you've conquered the trials will you be of use to Zelda. No sooner. Am I understood?"

Without waiting for an answer, she backed up, giving me one last look before stepping into the light.

Within seconds, the woman was gone, and the portal began to fade. I watched with grief as the portal dissipated into nothingness.

I couldn't believe it. She'd gotten away from me again. Would this nightmare ever end? Something told me that this originally short venture to the surface would turn into a long, strenuous journey. I doubted I'd get to sleep in for a while.

And yet...I accepted this fact. For Zelda, I would do anything. She was the one who spoke out for me when I didn't have a voice. I guess it was my turn to fight for her when she didn't have a sword.

Yes, no matter what it took, I wouldn't let anything hurt my best friend since childhood. My other half. My Zelda.

* * *

**Marissa's POV**

You guys should know that when I'm curious about something, I never let anything stop me from finding the answer to my question. Like, I'm basically relentless. If there's ever a time when I'm stubborn and persistent, it's when I want to know something.

Two hours practicing magic, and with no results? Pssh. Who cares? No biggie. I've spent longer than that daydreaming. And I _really _wanted to know what my power was. No, I _needed _to know. I mean, if there was a possibility that you could...fly or something, wouldn't you want to know too?

But...flying? No dice. I'd have a large bruise on my rear for a while. Melee attacks? They were a freaking joke. I couldn't even knock a bottle over. Reading minds? The only thing I picked up from Malice was that he _really _doubted I could read minds. Or maybe that was just that subconscious voice in my mind that seemed to speak the truth. I hate that voice. What a jerk.

We did figure one thing out, though. I could teleport short distances. Like, _really _short distances. I mean, what if I sit at the wrong chair at the table? That's no problem for me. Just a little concentration, and _poof. _I was in the right chair with only a minimal desire to throw my insides up and out. And may I remind you, I _cannot _get dizzy. Well, I guess I can now. Whoo! Progress.

Malice let out a sigh. "I don't know, Ocean. Maybe we just haven't tried something yet. Maybe it just has to develop."

"Or maybe I'm just a dud. Or maybe Hylia was just enjoying messing with me. Yeah, she'd probably do that, considering how much she's screwed up my life already."

"Come on now, Ocean." Malice patted me on the shoulder. "Don't talk like that. We'll figure it out."

"Right." I sighed. "Al, how is it that _you're _more of an optimist than me?"

Malice shrugged. "I don't know. I freaking lost half my family and then almost died myself like, yesterday. You must be really screwed up."

"_Shut up._" I whined, fighting back a smile.

"There's the Ocean we all know and love!" Malice said.

"What?"

"Well, I mean, you literally can't stay mad at anyone for more than like, five minutes."

"No," I shook my head. "What do you mean _'love_'?"

Malice's cheeks turned red. "It was just...a...er...figure of speech."

"Or..." I grinned. "You _like_ me!"  
"No!" Malice's face turned another shade of red.

"Yeah you do. "You like me! You like me!"

"No!" Malice glared at me. "If anyone likes anyone, it's you."

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

"You like Ghirahim." He said.

This made my face feel like it was on fire. "No way!"

"Way."

"Do not."

"Do too."

"Do not."

"Do."

"Not."

"Do."

"Not."

"Stop denying it!" Malice snapped. "I can tell."

"Nope."

Malice stood up with a sigh. "Well, you asked for it."

"What?"

"OCEAN AND GHIRAHIM SITTING IN A TREE. K-I-S-S-I-N-G!"

"STOP!" I shouted, my face probably looking sunburned by now. And how in the hell of it did Malice know that little song? It was for like, 10 year-olds. And it was from _my _world.

"I do not like Ghirahim, you moron." I said sternly.

"Admit it or I'll keep teasing you." Malice said, though his voice was dead serious. Cold, even.

I drew my sword. "Don't you dare."

"Why don't you just admit that you like him already?" Malice asked. "You're so defensive of him; you really thought I couldn't tell?"

"I. Don't. Like. Ghirahim."

"No. You love him."

I pointed my sword at him.

"Malice, I swear."

"Swear what? That you like him?"

I drew back my sword. "Okay, maybe I care for him. But only as a friend. And it's because I _have _to!"

"Liar." Malice muttered.

"What was that?"

Malice stared at me. "I called you a liar."

"Why?"

"Because you like him."

I rolled my eyes.

"You didn't deny it this time."

In response, I swung my sword at him. It was a slow swing, and I was far enough away that it shouldn't have been able to touch him.

But Malice seemed to think that I was actually attacking him, so he put a hand up in front of him, and the tip of my sword left a gash on his palm. He yelped in pain.

"I'm so sorry!" I exclaimed, darting to his side.

I took his hand in mine to examine the wound. The cut was slowly pulsing blood.

"I'll get a bandage." I promised.

_I wish I could just make it disappear. _I thought guiltily. Just as the entered my mind, the wound glowed a bright blue. My eyes widened in surprise and I stumbled back, tripping over my sword as I did so.

"Klutz." Malice muttered. Then he glanced at his hand, and his eyes widened. "Ocean, you need to see this."

I stiffened. "What?"

I hadn't somehow made it worse, had I?

No, that was not the case. Quite the opposite, actually. As Malice showed me his palm, I let out a breath of surprise. Where the bleeding wound used to be was a pale, scarred patch of skin.

"Did I do that?" I asked.

"I think so," Malice confirmed. "It's not perfect, but it is impressive."

"Do you think that's my power?" I asked. "Sure, I didn't help much, but with practice that may change."

"I think—"

Malice didn't get to finish, for someone suddenly warped behind me.

"What the..." Malice's eyes widened. "Er, Ocean, your friend is here."

I turned around. "Oh. Ghirahim! Hi! Um...how can I help you?"

Ghirahim ignored me, turning his gaze towards Malice.

"Come with me."

Malice blinked. "What?"

"What's wrong?" I asked Ghirahim.

The noble gave me a cold look before walking towards Malice.

"Unfortunately, today didn't go as planned. I received quite the unpleasant surprise when I arrived at the Earth Temple and the Spirit Maiden had already escaped. I have to admit, I was quite disappointed at this little setback."

I lowered my head. "Gee, Ghirahim, I'm really sorry. This is all my fault."

I tried to make myself look disappointed, while inside I was silently sighing in relief.

Ghirahim looked straight at me. "Yes. It is your fault." Then he turned to Malice.

"Er...what do you need?" The servant asked nervously.

Ghirahim placed a hand on Malice's wrist. "If I can't have my Spirit Maiden today, then at least I can investigate last night's incident. You are going to help me find the culprit. And then...they will be punished in any manner I see fit."

Malice swallowed nervously. "What does that have to do with me?"

"Oh, not much," Ghirahim told him sweetly. "It's only...you were with the servants who retrieved the wine."

Malice's face paled, and I felt a shred of worry for him. While I knew Malice wouldn't have done it, I can't say the same about what Ghirahim himself believed.

"Relax," Ghirahim laughed. "It's only a few...questions. I promise it will be over soon."

"Wait, Ghirahim," I said. "Do you need my help?"

The only way I could stop Ghirahim and Malice from going at each other's throats was by being with them during the questioning.

Ghirahim blinked at me slowly, an unreadable look on his face. "No. I don't any more help from you, _Ocean—_If that's even your real name."

I froze. "Ghirahim, I swear, whatever you think you heard..."

But the two demons were already gone, leaving me with only a few fading diamonds as I wondered what kind of a mess I was in.

* * *

**So, there you got to hear from each character about what they thought of their situations. Hoped you liked it! If so, review/fav/follow, please! My story is NOTHING without you guys!**

**Don't waste your summer like I mostly have! Do something you'll be proud of!**

**~Catwhiskers24~**


	50. Chapter 48: The Beast Within

**Whoa...it's already AUGUST? Dang. **

**Alright guys, here's the plan:**

**I am going to stop procrastinating and I'm going to try my hardest to finish book one of A Different Path before the summer ends. We're getting there. And I'll warn you, there's about to be a lot more action and violence and plot twists.**

**Speaking of violence and plot twists, I should warn you, this chapter has a bit of violence and some swearing. I try to use profanity in my writing sparingly, but let's face it, teenagers tend to lose their filters when they're mad.**

**Well, here's the disclaimer:**

**Disclaimer: I do not own LOZ, just my OC's and storyline/plot twists.**

**P.S: This chapter is extra long as an apology for my inconsistent updating. R&amp;R?**

**P.P.S: Just to see if you still find that funny.**

* * *

**Marissa's POV**

You know that feeling, when you're waiting for something to happen, but you're not entirely sure what it is?

I hate that feeling.

But you know what I do when that happens? Use my phone. That's usually about it. Whether it's texting a friend or getting caught up on that social media account that I haven't used in forever, I always seem to find something to do.

It's difficult to do that, however, if you have neither cell service nor WiFi.

So instead I just used the simple apps on my phone. I read a few chapters from the first _Warriors _book, which I had downloaded a few years ago for memory sake. Then I put in my earbuds and listened to some music, playing the games that I'd been sick of since a few days after I'd originally got them. And after I was bored of _that, _I went through my pictures.

I started to feel a lump in my throat as the photos made me reminisce about my fun, carefree days at high school with my friends. God I missed those days. I missed everyone _so much._ I missed going to Allison's house on weekends. I missed goofing off in history with Derek and Mady. I missed everything about my home. Sure, it was boring at times. But I realized I was taking that lack of drama for granted. My life was so much easier before I went through the portal.

It was kind of startling, looking at those pictures. I could see all my friends; friends I hadn't seen in weeks. How long had it been in my world? A couple of days? I knew my parents must be worried sick. I didn't wanna know what they were doing to try to find me. All I knew was when I got back, they'd kill me. That is...if Ghirahim didn't do it first.

I sighed, throwing my phone next to me on the bed. How did he find out about my name, anyway? I'd been so careful about keeping everything a secret. I knew Brooke hadn't said anything, and the only other person in this manor who knew about my alter ego was...

"Malice!" I exclaimed, sitting up with a start. Oh, crap. Ghirahim was _interrogating _him right now. Malice wouldn't know anything about the poison, but what if Ghirahim persisted? What if Malice said something about me? Not that he would, but he may have no choice. What if Ghirahim put a truth spell on him or something?

Panic seized me. I _had _to get down there. The only problem was...I had no idea where 'down there' even was. I didn't even know if it _was _down. The manor was freaking enormous! They could be anywhere!

I huffed a sigh. This was _hopeless. _Besides, what would I even do when I got down there? Me barging in would make him even more suspicious.

Because, let's face it: Any trust Ghirahim had for me was now gone. Kaput! He'd probably never trust me again.

And why should he?

I lied to him, over and over. And now he'd figured out one of these inaccuracies; one of many. If he discovered my other lies...I shuddered just thinking about it.

And the fact was, I wanted Ghirahim to trust me. Because the sooner he trusted me, the sooner he'd let me in and keep me close to him. Then I could protect him better. Because the fact is, looking at what he's done...he's had worse done to him. His childhood was hell in every aspect of the word. Who knew what all Demise did to him? It made me wince as my wild imagination pictured the possibilities. No wonder he's a mess! He's a freaking mess from the inside out! His skin and behavior were just examples to prove it.

All that pain...and I'd added to it by lying to him. I said I didn't want to see him in any more pain...and yet what had I done?

Even so...I couldn't help wondering if I was being a _bit _melodramatic. After all, how much did I really mean to the demon lord? He sure didn't act like it was much. And I didn't act like he meant much to me. And yet we all know that's not true.

Just look at last night, when I stayed up so he could sleep. And I would do it again and again. I would stay up with Ghirahim all night. That has to mean _something._

All my thoughts spun and churned in my mind until I could take it no longer. I had to do something.

I decided that if I didn't know where Ghirahim and Malice were, then I would find out. I would find out before it was too late for any of us.

* * *

"Leal?"

The butler jumped at the sound of my voice.

"Ah...Ocean..." The stout demon looked me up and down. "What are you doing out of your quarters?"

"I need to ask you something."

Leal blinked in surprise. "Alright," he said quietly.

"Where does Ghirahim do his...interrogations?"

Leal frowned. "Why do you need to know?"

"I just do, okay? It's important."

Leal sighed. "Ocean, I would like to help you, I really would. But I don't think it's a good idea to..."

"_Leal,_" I cut in. "Please."

"Ghirahim is very...selective in who know these things. I'm sorry. Perhaps in the future, you can ask him if—"

"But you don't understand! If you don't tell me, Ghirahim could die!"

I wasn't _completely _lying. I mean, if he ended up hating or being too suspicious of me, he might not let me be there to protect him.

Leal was silent for a moment. Then, in a low voice, he began to speak. "Ghirahim often does his interrogations in a small room to the right of the dungeon. Just...don't do anything that will get either of us killed."

I nodded. "I'll try my best."

I bolted towards the stairs leading to the dungeon. Sure enough, to the right of the dungeon was a small wooden door that I'd never noticed before.

I took a step towards it, but immediately two large moblins moved in front of the door.

"Hey!" I yelped in protest. "I'm just here to visit Ghirahim!"

They didn't move.

I groaned in frustration. It was just one problem after another, wasn't it?

It was obvious that the monsters weren't going to budge anytime soon, so I considered accepting defeat. Just as I was about to turn around and head home, I heard a noise from inside,

"_Stop! I told you! I don't know anything!_"

I stiffened. That was Malice's voice. What was happening to him?

In a flash, I whipped around. The moblins didn't have time to react as I ran towards the one on the left and used its shield to vault over their heads. I was in the door in an instant, bursting into a horrifying scene.

"Oh God..."

Ghirahim was leaning over a table. A table on which Malice was strapped. A bokoblin stood at Ghirahim's side, holding a hot metal brand. There was a strange stench in the air, and I realized with horror it was the smell of burning flesh. Malice's body was covered in burns and sear marks. They'd torn off his shirt and the lower half of his pants, branding every inch of his exposed skin, from his stomach to his shoulders, and then to his ankles. And if that wasn't bad enough, his arm was covered in skin deep cuts. The knife in Ghirahim's hand was the obvious culprit.

As I approached, Ghirahim shifted the knife above Malice's belly. I guess he was too preoccupied to see me enter.

"You might as well stop lying. Who else would want to kill me off? You had something to do with this, and we all know it. Now talk!"

I stared in horror at Ghirahim's face. His eyes were filled with a crazy light. Anger was clearly there. And ferocity, like the eyes of a wild beast. The look in the eyes of a velociraptor preparing to strike down its prey. And yet, beyond that, I thought I could see..._fear. _Desperation. But I couldn't be sure, and even so, the corners of his mouth were twisted upward in a smirk. Like the blood and pain wasn't fazing him in the slightest. Like he was enjoying it. The look of a sadist.

"I...don't...know..." Malice choked out. Tears leaked out of his swollen eyes. He looked like he'd been beaten. "I...just..." He coughed. "Just...don't...hurt her..."

I stiffened. Who was _her_?

That's when I heard the quiet sniffling.

Violet was curled up in a ball in the corner, crying quietly. I couldn't tell if they'd hurt her or not, but I knew they might if it meant making Malice talk.

Ghirahim sneered down at him. "Very well. If you won't talk, then I suppose I have no need for you."

My heart skipped a few beats as Ghirahim drew the knife back, preparing to shove it through Malice's abdomen.

Without thinking, I ran forward, grabbing the demon lord's arm from behind.

"What the...?" His head snapped around. "You! What are you doing here?"

"What am _I _doing?" I shrieked. "What are _you _doing? You call this questioning? This is _torture_, you sick, twisted _demon_!"

At that moment, as Ghirahim looked down at me, no trace of remorse in his eyes, I felt as though I'd been slapped. I felt hurt...disgusted..._angry._

This was who I was sacrificing so much for? This was who I was wasting my high school years for? This couldn't be the person who'd fallen asleep beside me last night, whom I'd hugged, laughed with, and smiled with. This was a monster.

And yet, it was all the same. This was the Ghirahim I'd known all along. I was a fool to think he was any different.

"You...you..." I couldn't put my anger and betrayal to words. "How _could _you? And in front of his sister, too! How...How do you live with yourself?"

"And how do _you _live with yourself?" Ghirahim snapped.

"What did _I _do? I've been doing everything physically possible to keep you safe and stop your people from turning on you, and then you go and do something like this! For once, I can't possibly see what I did wrong here."

Ghirahim towered over me. I finally could tell what that look in his eyes was. Anger. Pain. Fear. Betrayal.

"Then you should open your eyes. Or, at least your ears, _Marissa._"

No one had ever said my name like that. No one had spat it and acted like it was the most venomous thing in the world.

I lowered my eyes. "Alright, so maybe I didn't tell you my real name. But so what?"

"So what?" Ghirahim's face contorted in anger. "The first thing you told me was a lie! How do I know anything that has come out of your mouth is true?"

I bit my lip. "You don't know! Okay, so maybe I've lied to you before, but that doesn't mean I was lying about wanting to protect to you.

"That changes nothing," he spat.

"Look, Ghir—"

"No. Why don't you get it? You say you want me to trust you, but I don't even know who you are. You could be a Rebel for all I know."

My eyes widened. "I'm not! I'd never—"

"I have no reason to believe you."

"But why can't you believe that I want to—"

"I won't believe anything you have to say."

"I don't understand why you're so mad at me! All I did was lie about—"

"_WE DON'T LIE TO EACH OTHER!"_ Ghirahim shouted, now shaking with anger. "So many people want me dead. The last thing I need is for my protector to fake an identity."

I flinched. He never raised his voice. I'd never seen Ghirahim this mad. I didn't know he had strong enough opinions regarding me to be this furious.

"Ghirahim...I..." I glanced at Malice. "This isn't about me. This is about Malice."

"What's there to talk about?" Ghirahim snapped.

"You took your anger at me out on Malice! That's vile!" I shot back.

"Not if I was trying to make him tell me who betrayed me." Ghirahim retorted.

"You...You selfish, cowardly son of a bitch!" I shouted back. I'm not sure I'd ever been this mad either. Before I knew what I was doing, I swung my fist and struck Ghirahim in the cheek.

Ghirahim howled in pain, but for once that didn't faze me. I kicked him in the shin and took out my sword. The bokoblins came up behind me to hold me back, and I tried to shake them off. I was done playing games.

"You almost killed Malice!" I shouted. "He doesn't know anything! Can't you get that into your thick skull? You are such an imbecile! A cowardly imbecile!"

Ghirahim straightened up, rubbing his cheek. "Sky Child, you don't understand."

"Oh yeah? I understand perfectly!" I fought against the bokoblins' grip. "I understand that you were so afraid for your own skin that you decided to beat the living hell out of one of my friends. Malice doesn't deserve this. If anyone deserves to be attacked, it's you." I looked away. "I can't believe I ever cared about you. I've been so _stupid_. You deserve everything that's happened to you! Every moment of it!"

With one motion, I threw my sword at Ghirahim's chest. He narrowly avoided being stabbed as he warped away. He reappeared a few feet away, a long tear on his chest. My blade just skimmed the surface of his skin.

Ghirahim pressed his hand to the cut, examining the blood. He looked back at me with an unreadable look on his face.

Without another word, he teleported away.

"YOU COWARD!" I screamed after him, my voice breaking. "Come back here and fight!"

The bokoblins suddenly let go of me and fled. I fell to the ground.

"You...You _bastard_! You _weak..._gutless...malicious..." My voice gave out as I continued to yell after him.

For a moment, I just laid there. I was angry and sick and disturbed. I don't know why I was so mad. After all, at least he hadn't killed Malice. And was I really surprised that this happened?

Maybe that's why this bothered me so much. Maybe I knew all along that he was a vicious, soulless creature. Maybe I was mad at myself for thinking otherwise.

And the fact was, when it came down to it, I was no better than he was.

I let what had just happened sink in. I had almost _killed _Ghirahim. I shuddered as I thought of what would had happened if he hadn't moved. Now I admit, I have a terrible arm. But that one throw was a lucky shot. The cut on his chest had been right over his heart.

After a few moments I had to get up. I shuffled over to the table where Malice was bound.

"You...you didn't have to do that..." he coughed. A trickle of blood leaked out of the corner of his mouth.

I picked up my sword and cut him free.

"Actually, Malice, I think I did." I muttered.

As soon as I cut him free, Malice slid over the edge of the table. I had to catch him before he could hit the floor.

Malice winced, and though he was weak, he hugged me tightly. "I'm sorry, Ocean."

"Forget about it," I rasped, my voice now hoarse from my yelling match with the despicable demon lord.

Malice was shaking, and I knew he barely had enough strength to stay conscious.

"Oh Al..." My lower lip trembled. "This is all my fault. Just look at you..."

I stared at the marks and blood all over his body and my throat felt tight. "Oh, God. Malice, I'm so sorry."

Malice shook his head and then we were just sitting there, hugging each other. Violet stumbled over to us and I pulled her into a group hug.

"Al, Vi, I'm gonna get you out of this hellhole. Tomorrow. I promise."

Neither of them responded, and I realized it was because Malice was drifting into unconsciousness from the pain.

I knew what I had to do. I wasn't sure if I could do it, but it was what must be done.

I made sure I was holding onto both of them, pictured the hospital wing, and I warped us away.

* * *

I woke up in a cot three hours later. Malice was sleeping peacefully in the the bed next to mine. I glanced lazily around the room. Herb was sitting at my bedside.

"Morning, beautiful," he called cheerily, even though there was a note of weariness in his voice.

"Shut up, Herb."

The healer blinked. "Someone's rude today. And to think, after all I've done for you..."

I sighed. "I'm sorry, Herb. It's just..." I sighed. "Nevermind."

Herb didn't press, and I silently thanked him.

"You know, there was one thing wrong with what I said," Herb teased.

I smiled weakly at him. "Do I look that bad?"

Herb shook his head. "Not worse than usual."

"Ouch."

Herb shrugged. "Anyway, what I meant is that it's not morning."

"Huh?" I looked up. Sure enough, the sky was dark. It wasn't morning. It was the dead of the night.

I laid back against the pillow. "What happened to me?"

Herb laced his fingers. "Well...The three of you appeared in here out of nowhere, and then you collapsed. Did you try to warp them here?"

I nodded. "Yeah."

Herb sighed. "I figured. Though I didn't know you could use magic..."

I shrugged. "Sorry."

Herb waved away the apology. "Forget about that. But tell me, did you try to warp _all three_ of you here all at once?"

"Yeah. It was hard."

"It was stupid." Herb snapped.

"What?" I stared at him.

"Magic doesn't come free. You know that. It takes energy to do the simplest of things. And if you don't have enough energy...it...it could_ kill _you. Even the strongest of sorcerers are exhausted by warping multiple people long distances. But you...you were just downright _stupid. _I am appalled you would risk your life like that. You're damn lucky to still be alive."

I hung my head. "I'm sorry, Herb."

Herb rolled his eyes. "It's done. Now, tell me, what else can you do?"

I smiled a little. "Oh...well...not much." I bit my lip. "I can kind of heal, though."

"What?" Herb stiffened. "You can _heal_?"

"_Kind of!_" I repeated. "Just a little."

"That's not common among demons. You must be blessed!" Herb exclaimed.

"Yeah...blessed..."

"I'm serious," Herb insisted. "Do you know what I would give to have a power like that?"

I shrugged. "I guess it would be helpful for you."

Herb nodded. Then a bright look entered his eyes. "How do you feel?"

"Fantastic," I said dryly. "Just Fantastic."

"Good." Herb got to his feet. "Get up."

I stared at him in confusion. "What?"

"Get. Up. I'm not going to tell you again."

Still staring at him, I slid out of the bed. "Okay..."

Herb grabbed my arm.

"Hey!"

"Come," he ordered, pulling me towards Malice's side.

"What—What are you doing? You're touching me! Stop touching me!"

Herb rolled his eyes and let go of my arm. "Here. Do your thing."

I looked at him like he was crazy. He probably was. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Herb sighed in exasperation. "Your friend here is covered in wounds. Take your pick."

"I can't just...heal him!" I exclaimed.

"Why not?" Herb asked. "Then heal him. Don't 'just heal him'."

"It's not that simple..."

"Why don't you make it simple?" The healer reasoned.

"I don't even know how I did it in the first place," I admitted. "So how am I supposed to do it again?"

Herb shrugged. "I wouldn't know. But it's worth a try."

I had no argument for that, and it's not like trying would make Malice worse, so I surrendered. I focused on one of the gashes on Malice's arm and touched it, only slightly, with my finger.

_Alright...heal..._

Nothing happened.

_Not kidding, magical healing powers. _ I said silently. _Do something._

Well, it did something. After concentrating and trying my hardest, Malice's arm glowed blue. I watched as one of the knife wounds began binding itself together.

"Yes!" I whooped, throwing up my arms.

Suddenly, the blue light faded, and the gash opened back up, oozing out a fresh wave of blood. It looked even bigger this time.

I stared at the wound in horror.

"What did I _do_?" I moaned, feeling guilt and fear replace the triumph. I had just made it worse!

Herb frowned. "Perhaps the magic doesn't work if you break you're concentration. Try it again, but this time, don't _celebrate _for Din's sake!"

I nodded. "O-Okay."

This time, when I began to heal him, I continued concentrating. The wound was just about gone when my the edges of my vision started to swim. I wasn't sure if I was swaying or if the room itself was shaking.

It must have been the former, because Herb's voice cut into my focus.

"Ocean, stop. You're going to knock yourself out!"

I ignored him and continued. The blue light faded, and Malice's skin was left with a thin line of a scar.

"That's enough." Herb said gently. "You should rest now."

I nodded, not wanting to fail on one of his more severe injuries and make it worse.

"You should go back to your cot," the healer suggested.

I glanced at the door. "Actually...I kind of just want to go back to my room and pretend this never happened."

Herb thought for a moment.

"Fine. But you better go straight there. Don't look for more trouble."

"Trust me. I won't." I promised.

Herb nodded reluctantly. "Good. Now, leave me to my work."

I chuckled. "Alright, I will."

Still sore, I headed towards the door. Just as I reached for the handle, something came to my mind.

"Where's Violet?" I asked Herb. "Is she okay?"

The healer glanced up briefly. "She was a bit shaken up, but she'll be fine. I sent her back to the barracks."

"Alright. Good."

Despite what Herb said, I wasn't sure that Violet would just leave her brother like that. Sure enough, when I opened the door, I caught her trying to look through the blocked window on the door.

"Violet?"

The little demon looked up at me, her eyes wide. "Is Al OK?"

I nodded. "Yeah, I think he'll be fine."

Violet sat down in the middle of my path, a haunted look on her small face. "He's hurt bad."

I hesitated, never having been good with kids. After a few minutes, I found the right words.

"Hey," I said, kneeling down in front of her. "This is _Al _we're talking about. He gets through _everything, _doesn't he?"

Violet thought for a moment, but then she nodded. "Yup."

"So you don't have to worry, do you?" I prompted.

The girl shook her head.

I smiled. "Good. Now come on, I'll walk you back to the barracks."

Violet's eyes stretched wide. "No! That has the pointy sticks that hurt big brother!"

Of course. She was talking about the weapons they used to torture Malice. She wouldn't want to go anywhere near them.

"Alright," I said softly. "Then...I guess you can sleep in my room."

Violet looked up at me somberly. "No pointy sticks?"

I shook my head. "No pointy sticks."

She brightened. "Okay!"

I stood up. "Great. Follow me."

Violet sat down again, a pouty look on her face. "I don't _wanna _walk!"

I sighed. "Okay...then how are you going to get upstairs?"

The girl raised her arms. "Carry me."

Knowing that she'd had a traumatic afternoon, so I didn't argue, and I picked her up.

"You're so heavy!" I exclaimed, pretending to stumble.

The little girl giggled in amusement.

I smiled to myself and then carried her down a series of hallways, up to my room. Malice's sister wasn't actually heavy. Actually, she was as light as a feather.

"Alright. Here we are," I declared, opening up the door and walking in. I set her on the bed and closed the door.

"It's so big in here!" Violet exclaimed.

I nodded. "Yeah. It really is."

Violet continued to look around the room as I stretched out my weary arms.

"You should probably get some sleep," I told her.

"No! I'm wide awa—" She was cut off by a large yawn.

"Come on. You've had a long day." I said firmly. I walked over to her and moved the covers away, and she decided to take it easy on me, crawling right in. I brought the blankets up, tucking her in.

Violet yawned again. "I can't sleep."

"Why not?"

"I'm not tired."

I laughed. "Yeah you are. Now come on. Sleep."

Violet tilted her head. "Tell me a story."

"A story?" I bit my lip. "I don't know if I can come up with a story. I've never tried."

Violet thought for a moment. "Do you know any stories?"

"Hmm..." I thought for a moment. "I guess I know a few. Let's see..."

Yeah. A few. I thought about every book and movie and childhood tale that I'd heard of. Maybe one of those would work. But which one? What would a little girl like her want to hear about?

I thought back to when I was a little girl. Back then, I was all about animals and reading. But everyone else...What did every little girl dress up as for Halloween at some point?

A story seemed to pop into my mind in an instant.

"Once upon a time, there was a handsome prince who lived in a giant castle. But he was a vain, selfish prince, who had become arrogant from the power he had to himself."

"What does arrogant mean?" Violet asked.

I blinked. "Er...well...it's like..." I thought for a moment. "Just think of Ghirahim. You know how he is always bragging and acting like he's better than everyone else?"

Violet frowned. "Ghirahim is bad. I don't want to think about him."

I was silent. Before today, I'd probably correct her, and tell her that he was just confused. But after today...I wouldn't lie to anyone any longer—especially myself.

"Alright. Now, where were we?"

"The ar-row-gant prince," Violet chirped.

"Right. Now, here it goes..."

* * *

**Ghirahim's POV**

With my wound bandaged by Leal, I walked back to my quarters. As I reached the hallway to my room, I glanced at the girl's door. It was shut tightly. _Probably to keep me out._ I thought with a strange amusement.

I still found her overreaction quite strange. Though I hadn't actively tried to get to know her, I'd noticed a few things.

She pretends to get mad often, but something about her eyes always tells me that she feels nothing beyond mild annoyance.

She takes a lot to actually anger, and when I succeed in setting her off, it's a short burst of frustration, and then she's back to normal.

She's very protective.

She's quite forgiving.

It still puzzled me how quickly she'd gone from her happy-go-lucky attitude to the ferocity she'd shown. She'd looked like she'd wanted to..._kill _me.

But why did that seem so strange?

I pushed the thoughts out of my mind before I could be lost in such unimportant matters regarding the girl.

However, just as I passed her door, I heard voices. I felt a prick of curiosity, so I gently put my ear against the wood surface. I could hear the girl's voice. She was speaking in a strange voice, like the voice of someone reading an old storybook. But I didn't recognize whatever story she was telling.

"...a vain, selfish prince, who had become arrogant from the power he had to himself."

A quieter voice broke in, and then their voices were too soft for me to hear. After a moment, I realized that I recognized the other voice. It took me a second to realize that it was the younger sibling of the servant I'd just interrogated.

Just as this occurred to me, the Sky Child's voice sounded again, louder this time.

"Right. Here it goes."

She paused.

"Once upon a time, there was a handsome prince who lived in a giant castle. But he was a vain, selfish prince, who had become _braggy _from the power he had to himself. One day, an old woman came to his castle and asked for shelter from the cold. But the prince was cruel, so he didn't let her come in.

"But this woman wasn't just any old woman. She was a sorceress in disguise, and she cursed the prince for his selfishness."

"What did she do?" The servant's sister asked.

"She turned all the prince's servants into enchanted objects, like a clock, a candlestick, and a teapot as examples. As for the prince..."

She paused.

"The sorceress turned the prince into a hideous beast. He was covered in thick brown fur, with a hunched back, a tail, and huge teeth and claws. But since she was a merciful sorceress, she also gave him a mirror that allowed him to see stuff happening far away, and a magical red rose. If the Beast could get someone to fall in love with him before the last petal fell off, he would turn back into a human."

"And if he didn't?" The younger girl asked in a hushed voice.

"He'd stay a beast. Forever."

There was another silence.

"Ten years later, there's this beautiful girl in a small village named Belle. She's just a poor peasant, but she's kind to everyone. She reads a lot, and because of that, she has a thirst for adventure. But everyone else thinks that's strange and weird, so they taunt her and her father, who is an inventor. Then there's this big, strong man, who's more arrogant than the prince—"

"Even Ghirahim?" The young one chimed in.

I heard the Sky Child giggle. "Yep. Even more than Ghirahim."

I felt a flare of embarrassment. How dare they insult me behind my back? I should burst in and confront them for their disrespect!

But the appeal of this idea was outweighed by my desire to hear the rest of her story, so I remained silent.

"Anyway, this big man, Gaston, ignores all the other pretty girls in the village. He just wants to marry Belle. But she sees him for what he truly is, so she refuses."

"Yay!"

The girl laughed again, but she continued her story. "One day, her father Maurice and his horse get lost in the forest on the way to a fair. Some wolves chase him, and he runs away, ending up at the the Beast's castle."

The young girl spoke the same question that was on my mind. "What are wolves?"

"Er...they're big, furry animals that travel in packs. Getting attacked by them is not very fun. Anyway, so her dad gets to the Beast's castle, and he goes inside. He meets a candlestick named Lumière, and a clock called Clogsworth. There's also Mrs. Potts the teapot and her son Chip the teapot. Maurice ends up getting caught by the Beast and he gets locked up."

"Oh no!" The young demon exclaimed.

"Yeah. It's bad. So Belle finds his horse and follows him to the castle. When she finds her father in the dungeon, she begs the Beast to take her instead, and the Beast eventually agrees. When Maurice gets back, he tries to get the other villagers to help him save Belle, but they think he's just insane so they don't believe him.

"After her father leaves, the Beast tells Belle that she's going to stay in his castle forever. She becomes really sad and locks herself in the big room that the Beast provides her."

"A big room? Like this one? The one Ghirahim gave you?"

"Yeah. Exactly. Beast asks her to dine with him, but she doesn't want to. The Beast has a short temper, so he yells at her and says she doesn't get to eat at all that night. But Lumière feels bad for her and he sneaks her down to the dining room for a meal. Then he and Clogsworth give her a tour, and they tell her not to go into the West Wing. She does it anyway."

_That_ s_ounds like you, Sky Child. _I thought to myself.

"When she gets into the room, she finds a bunch of furniture that the Beast destroyed, as well as the magic rose. the Beast sneaks up on her and roars at her, mad that she's in the forbidden wing. Scared, Belle runs into the forest and is attacked by the wolves."

I heard a little gasp from inside.

"But before the wolves can hurt her, the Beast jumps out of nowhere and fights them off. But he gets hurt in the process, and barely makes it back to the castle. After they get back, Belle takes care of his wound and quietly thanks him for saving her life."

A strange feeling flowed through me at that part. _The girl took care of the Beast's wounds..._

"For the next few days, the two kinda become friends. the Beast starts to feel affection for her, so he surprises her with his library."

"Just like Ghirahim did for you!" the young girl exclaimed. I began to feel strange as she continued comparing me with the Beast. We weren't at all similar, were we?

The Sky Child seemed to feel the same as I, for she paused for a long time before continuing with the story.

"From then on, they begin bonding. the Beast's temper settled down a little and she showed him to enjoy the little things in life. They began to enjoy each other's company more and more. Then, one day, Belle mentions to the Beast that she's worried about her father. the Beast gives her the mirror, and she sees that he's sick and dying in the woods, trying to find and rescue her on his own. the Beast regretfully lets her go, giving her the mirror so she won't forget about him. When Belle brings her father back home, Gaston wants to bring him to an insane asylum since he keeps talking about the Beast. She proves that he's not insane by showing the villagers the Beast through the mirror. Gaston is jealous of the Beast, so he recruits a band of villagers to go hunt him down. He finds the Beast and starts fighting him while the villagers attack the servants. the Beast misses Belle too much to fight at first, but he starts to fight back. He wins, and he has the chance to kill Gaston."

I held my breath, captivated by the climax of the story.

"But Belle has changed the Beast so he lets Gaston go."

I felt a surge of disappointment. Where's the bloodshed? Where's the death?

"Belle finally reaches the Beast and they have a heartfelt reunion on the rooftops. But Gaston is still a jealous, merciless beast of a man, and he mortally wounds the Beast."

I nearly gasped at the sudden twist in this child's story. I almost felt sad about the ending, but they were just fictional characters.

"What does that mean?" The child asked in a hushed voice.

"The Beast is hurt bad."

"Is he gonna die?" She squeaked.

"Yes. It means he's going to die."

"NO!" She nearly shouted. "That's not how you end a story! Y-You can't kill him!"

I heard a quiet chuckle from inside. "That's just how the story goes, Vi. But just listen; it gets better, I promise."

The young girl was silent.

"Now, as the Beast lies, dying, Belle realizes that she has fallen in love with him. As she cries, she tells him this, though it's almost too painful for her to say. As she says this, the Beast dies."

"No! He can't! She loves him!"

"Vi, do you want to know how it ends or not?"

"Yes," The girl said quietly.

"So right after he dies, the last petal falls. But Belle broke the spell, and the Beast comes back to life, but he's in his prince form this time. The spell is also broken for the rest of his servants. The damaged castle returns back to its former state, and the two dance the night away in the ballroom as everyone watches. The end."

"So...So the Beast turned back into a prince?"

"Yup. It's a happy ending for everyone. Well, except Gaston, who fell off the rooftop. But like I said, it's a happy ending for Beauty and the Beast."

"Yay!"

I couldn't help but smile as the ending filled me with a strangely pleasant sensation. Of course her story would end in a manor like so. A happy ending. How incredibly predictable.

There was a silence.

"Round Ears, why did she turn the Prince into a Beast?" The child asked.

"Because she wanted people to see the ugly monster he was on the inside. She wanted him to understand that beauty isn't just skin-deep. Because while he was handsome, on the inside he really was a beast."

"So Belle fell in love with the Beast, even though he was mean and ugly?" The child asked.

"That's right. She gave him a chance to redeem himself, and then loved him for who he truly was."

"Do you think he deserved it?" She asked.

The Sky Child hesitated. "Of course. Everyone deserves a happy ending."

"Even Ghirahim?"

The Skyloftian was quiet for a moment. "Yes," she said, almost too softly for me to hear. "Even him."

"Do you think he's really that bad? Can he change?"

I strained to listen.

"Violet, he tortured your brother. He's horrible."

"But could someone change that?"

"I don't know. Maybe."

"Could you?"

The Sky Child didn't answer right away.

"I thought I had." She admitted. "From what I saw...he wasn't that bad. But every time I think I may be making progress in getting through his arrogant shell...I always seem to mess up. Maybe he's just...too far gone."

"I don't think so. I don't think he's that bad. Maybe he's just like the Beast, and you just have to be kind to him. Maybe if he falls in love, he'll be nice instead!"

I felt a flash of heat on my face at what the girl was suggesting.

"Vi, that's just a story. It's a fairy tale. Things like that don't just happen," She sighed. "Ghirahim just doesn't seem like the kind of person who enjoys the company of others, and that's okay. The thing is...miracles like that don't happen in real life. People don't just change like that. And they don't just come back to life. That's just...unrealistic."

"Nope. It's going to happen. Stuff is gonna get better." The younger demon insisted. "I know it."

I blinked. The young orphan had so much hope. She was such a fool. They both were. There was no way I could change. And there's no way I'd want to.

* * *

**Marissa's POV**

I thought I heard footsteps outside my door, but I couldn't be sure. Who would it be, anyway? Ghirahim listening to me telling a _bedtime story?_ Ha. As if.

Violet yawned and began twisting a loose string on one of the pillows.

"Ocean, do you think I'll ever see my parents again?"

Her question caught me off guard. I opened my mouth, but I had nothing to say.

I mean, did demons even _have _an afterlife? And if so, was it a good one? Or were they automatically condemned for just being a member of the species? You'd think that wouldn't be the case. I mean, Malice and Herb were just as good, if not better, than many members of my own species. And as for Violet and the other children, could they be punished for just being alive? They weren't old enough to have done anything that bad.

Of course, in my world, there's always been debates about religion and a possible afterlife. While I was a religious person, was it possible things could be different here? This was a different dimension with different deities. How would that work?

The truth was, after meeting Hylia and living in a civilization of demons, I wasn't sure what to believe in anymore. But I blocked out my doubt for Violet's sake.

"Yeah. Yeah, I think you will, one day. Just...take care of yourself. That's what they'd really want. Now get some sleep."

"Okay," the young girl agreed.

I blew out the candles illuminating the room and stood back.

"Where are you going to sleep?" She asked.

"Oh, don't worry. I'll figure it out."

It was quiet for a moment, and I wondered if Violet was asleep. Then, she asked the one thing I didn't want to answer.

"You're not gonna leave me, are you?"

I paused, and then I smiled. "I'm not going anywhere."

"Good. We need you," Violet said sweetly.

"Alright. Now, goodnight," I said, quietly sitting on my windowsill. _We?_

I waited a long while, and eventually her breathing grew even, and I knew she was asleep. I stared out the window at the lonely moon, shining its cold light on the land. I always liked the night. Everything was so quiet and peaceful. While I had my occasional scares, I trusted the dark. That is, when I wasn't alone. Then it was like any ridiculous fear of far-fetched creatures lurking in the dark was eliminated, like somehow they wouldn't attack if there were multiple people.

I wondered how Ghirahim thought of the dark. Did it scare him, especially now, that there could be an assassin or enemy sneaking up on him? Was he worried there was something in the dark with him, wearing shadows as disguise?

I sighed. Any other day, I would be concerned for him. I would probably ask him about the dark myself, and then stay with him if that is what he desired.

But not today. Not when thoughts of his torture of Malice were still fresh on my mind. What if he was just like Demise? I remembered watching the Demon King whip Ghirahim, wondering how anyone could come close to doing something so cruel, but now...now I knew Ghirahim was no different. He tortured Malice for _nothing._ And he was going to _kill _his servant. At least Demise never killed Ghirahim.

I sighed. Maybe Ghirahim was just on the path to become an evil king like Demise, and maybe there was nothing I could do about it. Maybe Hylia was wrong.

I decided one thing: There were no longer any excuses for what Ghirahim did. He had every intention of hurting Malice. And then he had the nerve to blame _me._

My head sunk to my hands. No matter what I did, Ghirahim never would change, would he? He would always be a perverted, selfish demon. He'd always be sadistic, and there was nothing I could do about that.

But that didn't mean that I had to be sensitive to his pain. He deserves more than what I did to him. Despite everything I believed, and despite all my natural empathy for him, I was no longer going to be concerned for him.

I stood up, looking at my phone. I'd been gone too long. I missed my friends too much. And I definitely wasn't cut out for this job. I could barely use magic. I was too trusting. And I couldn't deal with Ghirahim's bipolar personality. I just couldn't. I couldn't spend my teenage days worrying about someone who doesn't deserve to be worried about.

And believe me, for someone like me, who considers their worth less than most, that was saying something.

I took one last look at Violet, collected my things, and then headed towards the door.

Our last conversation echoed in my ear.

_"You're not gonna leave me, are you?"_

_"I'm not going anywhere."_

That may not have been the first lie I ever told her, but I had a feeling it would be the last.

I couldn't take this anymore. I wasn't cut out for such an intense role. I was done.

I guess I was also lying when I told Malice and Violet that I was going to get them out of Ghirahim's manor. For no matter how selfish I felt for abandoning my friends and breaking my promises, it wasn't the siblings who would be leaving that night.

It was me.

* * *

**Well shoot, that escalated quickly. **

**I know a lot of you are waiting for the romance, but as Elvis Presley once said,**

_**"Wise men say only fools rush in."**_

**Anyway, this part is just setting up the next chunk of the story. This chapter is kinda like being at the top of hill on a rollercoaster. Things are gonna happen real quick, real soon.**

**Well, that's all I think.**

**No, I lied. The story she told was obviously _Beauty and the Beast, _and it was based of the Disney movie. I included it as not only a lighter moment in the tension, but also as a nod to a classic story with similar characters and themes. The scene with the two in the library was also a reference, as you can now see. My story is still going to be different, I just kinda wanted to throw in references to the classics, since I was inspired by a number of characters while creating Marissa's character, including Belle (both compassionate brunette bookworms). And while I liked the idea of a clumsy character, I used Anna from Frozen(yes, Frozen, I'm sorry) as a model of a clumsy girl who is still a pretty heroine. Anyways, thanks for reading! Please Fav/Follow/Review.**

**See ya!**

**~Catwhiskers**


	51. Chapter 49: Bonding

**Boom. That's right! Another update!**

**I decided to update a little faster this time since I've been pretty inconsistent lately. Plus, this chapter is _fairly _important.**

**I...think that's about it for this A/N**

**Disclaimer: I do not own LOZ or its characters, just my OC's/storyline.**

* * *

**Marissa's POV**

Half of me was telling me to go back to the manor, that I'd figure something out. Okay, maybe that was more like a quarter of me. The rest of my mind was saying that it was time that I stopped letting people push me around and look out for myself. I had to take care of myself, right? That was the right thing to do.

Then why did I feel so selfish?

I really shouldn't. I owed nothing to Ghirahim, and I had no reason to stay. He was a demon lord. Even his _title _screamed evil. And so did his actions, and his words, and his personality. I mean, don't even get me started on the textbook sadism, or the staggering narcissism. Yeah, he was a real piece of work. Why I still stayed with him...I had no idea.

I guess that's why I decided to leave. With most of my belongings gathered together and stuffed into my adventure pouch, I set out for Faron Woods.

Sneaking down the stairs was a heart attack and a half. I swear, every single one of those stairs let out an unearthly screech every time my foot so much as brushed its surface.

Getting through the door, however, was its own hideous beast. Leal had been standing by the door.

"Where are you going so late?" He had asked.

I had turned around and looked at him briefly. "I need some fresh air. I'm going to go take a walk. I'll be back in no time."

So Leal had let me go seconds before my heart could burst from anticipation. I had walked out the door, and then ran the rest of the way down the hill.

Now, having successfully snuck out, there were only a few problems:

It was dark. It was dark, and I was lost. It was dark, I was lost, _and _I was alone. What I wouldn't give to have Malice or Herb at my side right now...

The problem with being lost at night in a place like this is you only know what things look like in the day time. After dusk, _everything _looks different. The trees you use as landmarks suddenly look like moving, sentient creatures. After sunset, you can barely distinguish the darkness from the turf. I used the light from the manor at first, but now I was far enough away that I found myself tripping over uneven spots on the ground.

I heard a strange sound from far off, and then the hair on the back of my neck decided to stand up on its own. I shivered. My heart began to beat faster, pumping the adrenaline through my veins. I was so vulnerable. Why did I ever think that this was a good idea?

I broke into a speed-walk, heading the direction that I felt was correct.

I slowed my breathing and focused on walking. _Right foot, left foot, right foot, left foot, repeat._

What could even be out here? A few bokoblins? A creepy lizalfos? Maybe a bloated moblin. Or...a rogue dead hand...Perhaps a few redeads...

Was that an undead groan in the distance? I sure didn't want to find out. My pace sped up once again.

Soon, a few small shapes appeared ahead of me. I walked towards them. Then I was walking on the softest of grass, and the hairs on my neck went nuts.

I smacked my foot on something. What was it? Oh, just a gravestone.

A _gravestone?_

I jumped back, my eyes huge. It turns out I was in the cemetery. I guess that explained the strange sensation I was having.

I weaved through isles of tombstones. I couldn't remember seeing this before. So that could only mean one thing: I was lost.

I took in my surroundings. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a dim light. Walking forward, I discovered that the dim light was coming from the window of a small shack. I made my way towards it with haste.

When I finally reached the door, I took a moment to collect myself before carefully knocking. A few seconds pause, and then the door opened. The smell of tea and moth balls greeted my nose. An elderly woman stood before me. Her skin was dried and wrinkled. Little faded scars proved her age and experience. She was old. Older than Impa, even. The tips of her pointed ears sagged, and she leaned against the door for support. I was startled by her age. I had no idea how long demons could live, but this just didn't seem natural.

"Yes?" She croaked. Her voice seemed worn from years of use.

"I...uh..." I bit my lip, trying my best not to let my shyness overtake me. Ever since I was a child, I had always struggled to talk to adults. I had no idea why I was so shy, or if I would ever get over my childish self-consciousness, but I knew it would only stand in my way.

I felt that embarrassed tightness in my throat, and every muscle in my body seemed to tense up. I tried to tackle step one in having a good, honest conversation: Eye contact.

Boy, was that a mistake. The moment my eyes met her blood red ones, I could barely mask my shock.

The woman adjusted her worn shawl and pushed some white hair out of her eyes. "Are you going to say something, or are you just going to stand there like a clueless mute?"

"I..." I lowered my gaze. "I'm t-trying to get to Faron W-Woods. Can you give me directions?"

The woman blinked. "So she talks."

Something about the way this woman spoke and acted seemed really familiar. It was strange.

"Yeah. I kind of got lost. Which way to Faron Woods?"

The old woman leaned against the side of the door and gave me a closer look. "What is a Skyloftian like you doing in the realm of Demise?"

I sighed. "It's a long story. But I'll be out of here soon if you could just tell me—"

"Alright, alright. If you want to just get out of here, then that's fine. I'm sorry I was boring you."

My eyes widened. "No, that's not what I meant at all! I just really need to..."

I trailed off as the woman let out a hoarse laugh. "I'm only messing with you! Now, to get to Faron Woods, you are going to want to walk that way," she said, gesturing with her hand to the opposite direction I had been walking in. "Keep going that way until your legs feel as though they are going to snap, and then you'll be halfway there."

"Great..." I said.

She laughed again. "You better be on your way. You wouldn't want Ghirahim to catch you."

I frowned. "How did you know..?"

The old woman just smiled. "I had a feeling. And I should warn you, if he catches you trying to escape, it won't be pretty. Short tempers run in the family."

"What?"

She nodded towards the cemetery. "You better run along now."

And with that, she closed the door in my face.

"Nice meeting you..." I muttered. I turned to start walking in the direction she'd indicated, but then something caught my eye.

The woman's house was near the graveyard, and from where I was standing, I saw something strange on one of the tombstones. Walking slowly, I approached the grave. Etched on the surface of the stone was a strange crest; a family emblem, perhaps.

I traced my finger over the pattern, as it was too dark to see it clearly. But from what my eyes discerned and from what I could feel, it appeared that the pattern was three interlocking diamonds.

I stared at the stone for a while. Something about it seemed familiar in the same way as the old woman had. It was as if I was forgetting something, or like I was remembering something that I didn't realize I knew.

After a few moments standing there, I began to feel unnerved again. I knew I should get going.

With one last look at the tombstone, I started on my way. Soon, my feet began to ache and my throat became dry. I was exhausted from the past few days.

"Well this is fine situation you've gotten yourself in," I muttered. Could _nothing _go right for me?

As I walked, I allowed my mind to drift. But then my thoughts always came back to my situation with Ghirahim, and I cursed the day I ever met him. My life would be so much simpler without him.

I thought for a minute. Why would I even be here if it wasn't for Ghirahim? The whole reason Hylia had brought me to this world was to keep an eye on him.

Oh, and _Hylia._ This was all _her _fault. Who gave her the right to just abduct me and then force me to help her?

Well, it didn't matter, because I didn't care what she wanted. I was getting out of here. I was going to go home and forget that this ever happened.

"Take _that _Hylia!" I yelled to the night sky. "Not so powerful, are you?"

"You would do yourself good to show some respect," a cold voice snapped.

I turned around to see the very goddess I was subconsciously ranting about.

She had her arms folded. "As it is, you have never shown me the proper respect. You've never once bowed to me."

I glared at her. "There's only one God that I'd bow to, and it certainly isn't _you._"

The goddess flared her nostrils. "Your insolence will only make matters worse for you. You ought to at least be polite to me, as I've done so much for you."

"For _me?_" I scoffed. "No. None of this has been for me. You're using me, just like you're using Link!"

Something like hurt flashed in the goddess's eyes. "You have no right to question my methods. And you of all people should know that I had no choice."

"Yeah, whatever." I muttered, kicking a rock near my foot. "What happened to only appearing when I'm 'asleep'? Isn't this hurting my mind or something?"

Hylia sighed. "I'm sorry, but I didn't have much of a choice. You're about to abandon your duties. I cannot let that happen."

I gave her a fake smile. "Well, I'm sorry, _Your Grace, _but you can't stop me. Buh-bye."

Without a second look at her, I continued on my way.

"Stop!" Hylia drifted towards me. "You mustn't leave this realm. I cannot stress how imperative you are to the fate of our world."

I looked at the ground, avoiding her gaze. "No. Not _our _world. Your world. I belong somewhere else. I was stupid for not realizing that earlier."

"No, you weren't," the goddess protested. "Do you really think you belong in your original dimension? You may say you do, but your thoughts tell me otherwise."

I turned away. Now she'd done it, picking at one of my biggest insecurities. "You can read my thoughts?"

"I had to," Hylia said defensively. "I had to pick the person who would fit this job most, so knowing how they thought was necessary. It was never my intention to invade on your privacy."

"Yeah, well." I sighed. "Maybe you're right. Maybe I _don't _belong on Earth. After all, I'm weird and socially awkward. I'm never caught up to my classmates when it comes to whats popular. Maybe I'm just not meant to fit in there. But if I don't belong there, then where _do _I belong? It sure as heck isn't here. I'm just messing up everyone's lives." My throat tightened. "Maybe's it's nowhere. Maybe I'm just a waste of space. I mean, why else would you take me from my world and throw me into such an intense situation? Because I'm useless, that's why."

Hylia drifted towards me, stopping when she came to my side. "Child, you mustn't feel that way. One of my reasons for choosing you was so that you could better understand your worth."  
"And now I'm more confused than ever," I muttered bitterly.

Hylia pursed her lips. "I apologize for any distress I've caused you, but you must not feel sorry for yourself. You must stop thinking about your own problems and start being more empathetic for the one you're destined to protect. Running away was selfish and disrespectful."

"Well," I straightened up. _Don't let her stop you. _"I'm sorry for the disappointment, but you're not talking me out of this. I've given Ghirahim chance after chance, but he's only taken advantage of me. And now you're taking advantage of my passive nature. But not anymore. I'm leaving, and you can't do anything to stop me."

"Is that right?" Hylia hissed. There was a dangerous sound to her voice, and I tried not to flinch. In seconds, I was surrounded by a golden light.

"What the..?"

Hylia's outline floated above my trap. "One of the main reasons I brought you here was your forgiving nature and your empathy. But it seems you've blocked out that part of you. It seems I have no other choice but to strengthen your bond with Ghirahim. Perhaps then you'll be reminded of the importance of these values."

"What are you—" I was cut off as the golden magic surrounded me as a cloud. It came closer and closer, and I found myself breathing it in. I tried to cough it out, but it was too late. A strange scent filled my nose. It smelled like a combination of lemon and the kind of laughing gas dentists use. My mind grew fuzzy, and my vision began to blur.

I stumbled in place, trying to escape the magical prison. I tripped over my own foot, falling to the ground. The sky swirled above me.

"I hope that you will understand the purpose of this curse. I am only doing this to help you and your charge. You must understand that, while he may not show it, he is becoming tired of being exhausted and in pain. And even more yet, while he may not realize it, he is tired of facing everything alone. He's lived an eternity of solitude, and now you have an opportunity to change that. I know that you've been waiting for him to let you in, but he already has. You've made him question his loyalties. You cannot abandon him now, else he may fall apart. You cannot fill his heart with doubt and then quit halfway. Go to him. He needs you now more than ever."

She may have continued to speak to me, but the world grew dark and I knew no more.

* * *

When I woke up, _everything hurt._

Alright, maybe not everything, but there was still a lot of pain. I felt this pain specifically on my shoulder and chest, as well as some aches along the rest of my body. It felt as though I had been attacked by some monster, though I wasn't injured anywhere.

I winced as I sat up, and that caused a burst of pain to shoot through my face.

"Ow..." I moaned. "What just happened to me?" Judging by the same dark sky, I had only been out for an hour or two, but why did it feel like someone attacked me?

I managed to stand up, my pain fading to a dull ache. This was definitely weird. Invisible injuries. Hmm. That's a new one.

I walked around for a while, not sure what to do. I began to panic. Now I was more lost than ever, and I was questioning whether or not I should leave. What had Hylia meant by he needs me more than ever? Had something happened to him?

I had an intense desire to return to the manor, just in case. But then, would I ever escape again? Would I ever convince myself to try again? Besides, did I really want to crawl back to him again?

I sat on the ground once again, hugging my knees to my chest. I didn't know what to do anymore. Why did I leave?

I was lost, confused, and I felt like I was high on magic gold dust. I sat there for a long time. I didn't know what to do. Maybe I should just wait until morning. Then maybe I could find my way back.

I heard a rustle behind me, making me flinch. I looked behind me, and the leaves if one of the trees were moving. The only problem? There was absolutely no wind that night.

I began to shiver. I wondered if this was going to be my last night alive. Probably. Maybe that was why I've felt so strange.

I suddenly felt so tired, but I couldn't sleep. Not while I felt so nervous.

I hid my head behind my legs and felt like I was going to cry. So much pain. So much confusion. So much anxiety. I couldn't take it.

"Ocean?"

I looked up and nearly sobbed with relief. Leal stood above me, a frown on his face and a torch in his hand.

"Leal?"

"What are you doing out here?" he asked.

"I don't know," I said quietly. "I think I'm lost."

"Would you like me to guide you home?"

I stood up and wiped my hand across my face. "Yes please."

Leal smiled kindly. "Alright. Follow me."

I nodded gratefully.

And so, despite my doubt and fear and resentment, I let the light guide me home that night.

* * *

We arrived in a matter of minutes. The ghostly pain I felt throughout my body seemed to fade a little when I set foot in the manor.

"Thank you, Leal. I owe you one," I said to the short demon.

He smiled weakly. "Forget about it. It was a pleasure."

I nodded to him once, and then I crept up the stairs. When I reached my door, I carefully walked in, tossing my possessions to the floor on the side of the bed. To my relief, Violet was still sound asleep.

I sat at my windowsill once again. What was I supposed to do now? Once again, I'd completely lost it because of something Ghirahim did. How were we supposed to have a trusting relationship if this kept happening? Would I have to keep swallowing my pride and apologizing?

I sighed. Maybe that was the key. If trust and pride were the two problems of this relationship, then maybe I just had to forget about pride and give him a reason to trust me.

Instead on dwelling on his vicious deed from earlier, I thought about all that we'd been through together. I realized that was a lot. If our 'friendship' had lasted this long, it could last through this.

Now, if I was going to to make this work, then I had to gain his trust again. It wouldn't be easy, but I knew where I could start.

With a wince, I slid off of my windowsill and walked towards my personal washroom. Inside, I found a washcloth and poured some warm, soapy water onto it. Then, holding my hand beneath it to catch the drops, I crossed the hall and entered Ghirahim's room. Looking at him, I could somehow tell that he was asleep, even if it was only a light sleep.

I crept towards his bedside and slowly pulled back the covers. He was sleeping on his back, with his gloved hand over the bandage covering his chest. Even in the dark, I could see that the bandage had absorbed a large amount of blood.

Without making a sound, I peeled back the cloth holding it in place, uncovering the wound. I lit the candle on his nightstand. The new light dimly illuminated his injury without waking him.

_I did this,_ I thought miserably, staring at the wound with a wave of guilt.

I reached forward and gently started dabbing at the dried blood on his chest. I had cleaned a large portion of the injured portion when Ghirahim jerked awake. He stared at me in surprise.

"Sky Child, what are you...?"

I shook my head, continuing with my work. He didn't make a sound as he carefully watched me clean his wound

After I finished, I set down the cloth and then delicately laid my fingertips over the oozing gash.

Ghirahim winced. "Why are you..."

He trailed off in confusion as I held up my free hand for quiet. After a few moments' concentration, an azure light spilt out of the cut, penetrating the humble darkness. He didn't move a muscle, though I could feel his heart leaping against my hand, almost shaking my fingertips.

_Thump thump..._ I could almost hear it.

_Thumpity thump thump..._that was odd. It was like it was beating with an unfamiliar rhythm. Was that normal for demons, or was he sick or something?

After a few moments of concentration, the skin closed over his wound. He let out his breath in surprise.

"How did you do that?"

I looked away. "There are a lot of things you still don't know about me. And...I guess I'm willing to show you who I really am but...but I'm going to need some time."

Ghirahim was silent for a moment. "No more lies?"

I hesitated. I wasn't sure I could promise that. Not completely. But I did it anyway. "I promise."

The demon lord gave me a long look. "I suppose you are still mad about the servant, aren't you?"

I sighed. "No...not mad..." I bit my lip. "Not anymore. I've forgiven you. That's what friends do."

Ghirahim didn't meet my gaze. "You may be right."

I stretched. "Can we just forget that tonight happened?"

He didn't answer at first. Then he nodded slowly. "Alright."

Without anything else to say, I stood up and headed towards the door.

"Wait," Ghirahim spoke up.

"What?"

He hesitated. "Last night...I slept better than ever before. Any chance you could stay again?"

I considered the offer. "Well, I guess my room's already taken," I conceded.

Slowly, I approached the bed. Feeling self-conscious, I slipped in. I leaned against the headboard like last night. Ghirahim shifted about, as if trying to get comfortable.

The next thing I knew, he was beside me, my head against his chest, his arms around my shoulders.

Without another word, I finally fell asleep.

* * *

Once again, I woke up early the next morning. And not just to lower suspicion. This time, it was for another reason. Malice had recovered quickly, and he had taken to heart what I'd said. By the morning, preparations had been made for the siblings' escape.

However, by the time we were ready to execute the plan, Ghirahim was awake as well.

There's a certain method of sneaking out of the manor with others, and I'd tried my best to perfect it.

Step one: Wear clothes that won't bring attention to yourself but still don't make it _look _like you're trying to hide yourself.

For example, a full blown disguise is no good—It's too suspicious. Earth toned cloaks, however, are a fairly good choice. (I wore a brown cloak with the hood down, and Malice found a gray one. Violet wanted a pink cloak, but the only other color we could find was black.)

Step two: Leave early enough that many people are still asleep, but late enough that there are enough people to form a crowd for you to get lost in. Even then, the people that _are _awake are probably not alert enough to notice you.

Step three: Walk with a purpose, but not like you're in a hurry or have somewhere important to go. Take it slow, but never break stride. Try to match the pace of the people around you. It's always helpful to talk amongst yourselves quietly. No louder than the rest of the crowd, but no quieter either. Additionally, make sure that you have good posture. Keep your head up. No noble would walk around with bad posture.

Step Four: Act like you have no reason to be nervous. You have every right to be going where you're going. If you believe that, everyone else will too.

Step Five: NEVER look around. Nothing screams 'hey look at me!' like someone who is constantly searching the crowd for someone. And if you pass by someone you know, _do not _flinch. Do not hesitate. And most of all, do not do a double take. If they didn't notice you at first, then looking at them again will just give you away.

As we walked through that hallway, I realized Ghirahim was standing off to the side of the crowd. I prayed his sharp eyes wouldn't pick me out of the crowd. He probably saw me. Even so, as we passed by, he didn't say a word. As we got farther and farther away from him, I could feel his dark eyes burning the back of my neck like dark brown coals. As soon as we reached the door and filtered out of the manor, I released a shiver that I had been holding in. He knew. He knew I was up to something.

We crossed the ground between the manor and the stables with great haste, Malice and I running side by side with Violet in her brother's arms.

We were in Oatburner's stable within minutes.

"Here, take this," I said, handing Malice a few pieces of fruit that I'd smuggled out of the dining room.

"Thanks," Malice said, taking the food gratefully. He lifted Violet onto the horse and then hoisted himself up behind her, taking the reins.

"I have something for you as well," Malice confessed, taking something out of his pouch. I held out a hand and he dropped a small pebble into my hands.

"What is it?" I asked, examining it.

"It's some kind of crystal my parents gave me as a kid. Hold it up to the sunlight."

I did as he said, finding a ray of sunshine that bled through one of the windows. As soon as the light met the surface of the crystal, it began glowing a bright orange.

"This is so cool," I breathed.

"It's yours. My parents gave it to me the night they...you know. They said that it was important to them, but that Vi and I were more important."

I was speechless. "Gosh, Malice, I can't take this. Your parents gave it to you."

Malice shook his head. "No. They gave it to me because I was important to them, and now I'm giving it to you because you're important to me. You've been the best friend I could ever ask for."

My throat grew tight. "I can't..."

Malice smiled. "Take it. It'll remind you that there are still demons out there who are different from Ghirahim and Demise."

Reluctantly, I closed my fingers around the stone. "Thank you. I will cherish it always. Now go!"

I used my sword to cut the lead connecting Oatburner to his stall. The horse reared back and dashed out of the barn, me following close behind.

Suddenly, the horse came to a stop.

"Malice?" I walked up to the horse uncertainly.

"Come with me," the boy pleaded. "Forget about Hylia and your mission. Come with me. We'll all be so much happier in this new place. I know it."

"Where are you going, Malice?" I asked.

He lowered his gaze. "I can't tell you. I've been offered a job, but my employer told me I couldn't tell anyone about it unless they come with me."

"I can't come. I'm sorry, Malice. There may be nothing for you here, but for me, this is all I know. I have to make sure Ghirahim stays alive."

Malice's shoulders slumped. "Alright. But...just...try not to get too involved in his problems. His situation is much bigger than he realizes. I don't want you to be in danger."

"I'll be fine," I assured him.

"Well, so long...Marissa..." the orange demon said. The horse reared up, and then it was running once again. I watched them leave, staring at the horse as grass flared underneath his hooves like fire.

"Bye," I muttered.

In seconds, they were just a speck on the horizon, and I watched as the siblings disappeared out of my life. Forever.

* * *

**Well, it happened.**

**Anyway, I noticed a few of you were surprised that Marissa was ****partially based on a few Disney characters. Yeah, some things about her resemble me, but only some things. More specific stuff, like fears and memories, I had to base on me or someone I know since it's kinda hard to come up with a meaningful memory. But a lot of her personality is a combination of good and bad traits of some of my all time favorite characters and myself. So while she does resemble me, she's still not me. She's neither a self-insert or a completely made up character. She's like a big mixed up pile of recycling. My reason for this was that I could give her talents or flaws that I don't necessarily have, but so that I still had somewhere to start. Plus, it's important to know your MC really well so that you know how they would respond to stuff. **

**Anyway, if that's a weird way to produce a character, then whatever. But being a beginner writer, it was either that or risk coming up with someone completely different who could be hard for me to get to know. So yeah.**

**Well, we've broken a 100 favs/follows. Yay! And I can't even begin to describe how thankful I am for all the helpful and inspiring reviews. Keep up the good work!**

**That's about it.**

**Ya.**

**~Catwhiskers24~**


	52. Chapter 50: Absence of Malice

**Here comes another update! Too be honest, I would have uploaded this yesterday...but I got distracted by a human-sized hamster ball, and I didn't get to proofread yesterday, so I had to do it today instead. I know, I know, I'm the queen of excuses. But hey...who _wouldn't _seize an opportunity like that? Needless to say, I had a _ball._**

**Anyways, thanks to everyone who has stuck with me up to this point. 51 chapters already! I must have a writing problem or something!  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own LOZ or its characters, but the OC's, alternate story-line and plot twists are mine.**

* * *

**Marissa's POV**

Life without Malice was so strange. It started feeling foreign and uncomfortable within minutes. After a few days, it began to be unbearable. With the siblings gone, Ghirahim had nothing to be mad at me for. I mean, he couldn't accuse me of planning his downfall with Malice, or for doing whatever else he thought we were doing.

To be honest, at first I didn't think it would be _that _bad. I mean, without Malice and Violet, I could spend more time getting closer to Ghirahim. I had thought this could be a good thing, as I could focus more on protecting Ghirahim. But, sadly, that was not to be. Ghirahim always seemed to be in his room, desperately trying to find where Zelda would be going next. He wouldn't let anyone disturb him.

Oh, and I know what you're thinking: What about that Herb guy? Couldn't I hang out with him? Nope. Herb was too busy patching up a patrol of bokoblins that had been attacked by the Rebels. And on top of that, he had to spend a lot of quality time gathering new supplies. So basically, I was forced to sit in this gigantic manor with nothing to do. Fantastic.

It seems that few people noticed that Malice and Violet had disappeared. Herb and I explained the situation to Vi's foster parents, but other than them, few people knew the two ever existed.

Ghirahim, however, seemed to notice their disappearance.

"Where is that servant and his sister?" Ghirahim had asked the first evening after they left.

"Which servant?"

Ghirahim rolled his eyes. "You know exactly who I'm referring to."

I gave him an impish smile. "Maybe I'd know if you used their names."

After giving me an intense glare, Ghirahim sighed in resignation. "Fine. Where is that _Malice _character?"

"Dunno," I said with a shrug.

"Don't lie."

"I'm sorry, Ghirahim," I said, "but I have no idea. Honest. He didn't tell me where he was going."

"But you helped him escape?" Ghirahim asked.

I lowered my head. "Yes. But trust me; you don't have to worry about him. He's long gone by now." I stared at the ground. "We'll never see him again."

Ghirahim had reluctantly dropped the matter at that point.

Now, without my partners in crime, the days seemed to drag by.

Eventually, I walked into Ghirahim's room.

"Hi," I greeted him uncertainly.

"Hello," the noble said, glancing at me for a moment before returning to his pile of books.

I stood awkwardly near the back of his room for a few moments. Then he looked up. "Do you need something?"

I thought for a moment. "I thought you said you were going to train me some more. Don't we need to practice my magic so I don't end up accidentally killing someone?"

"Sooner or later, yes, we do." Ghirahim agreed. "But not right now. I'm busy."

I frowned. "You're always busy. Come on, just take a break! It'll be fun!"

"How many times do I have to tell you?" Ghirahim snapped irritably. "I don't have time for _fun._"

I bit my lip. "Fine. I'm going to go wander around Faron Woods."

"No you're not. It's dangerous out there."

"So what?" I walked towards the door.

Ghirahim scowled. "You're going to get yourself killed."

"You're worried? Aww, that's cute."

Ghirahim glared at me. "No. I just think losing my guard would be counterproductive."

"Oh well."

I skipped into the hallway, taking my adventure pouch from my room before walking down the stairs and exiting the manor.

* * *

Just playing the game, you never could have guessed how huge and beautiful Faron Woods was in person. Every color in that forest was so vivid, and every sound was so crisp. You could hear birds singing in the trees, and the low drawl of many insects echoed everywhere.

It was nice to just walk those trails alone, taking in the peace and quiet. Besides the temples and occasional gate or wall, there was nothing man-made in miles. And I loved that.

Just the feeling of fresh air and freedom seemed to fill me with a new energy, and I ran down the nearest trail, laughing like an excited child.

Eventually, I came to the small pool that led to the inside of the Great Tree. I took off my shoes and sat at the bank, dipping my feet into the cool, crisp water. The pool was clear, and I could see all the way to the bottom. The sunlight bouncing off the surface of the water cast little dapples and ripples of shadow onto the clean stone at the bottom.

I closed my eyes and let the sensations of the forest surround me. Right then, despite all my problems, life was good. I couldn't find a single thing to complain about. Just for a moment, everything was perfect.

Then, from behind me, I could hear softly approaching footsteps. They seemed to have just appeared out of nowhere. Like whoever was approaching me had just teleported here.

"Hello Ghirahim," I called, hiding a smile.

"You heard me coming?" The demon asked, almost sounding surprised.

"Yup." I stood up. "So you decided to come along after all?"

"No." He reached out a hand. "I'm here to take you back. Come."

"No thanks." I said, spinning off to the side. I forgot how nice grass felt on bare feet.

"You're going to get dizzy," the demon lord warned, seeming to be trying hard to keep patient. "Take my hand."

"Nah, I'm good."

Ghirahim sighed. "I'm not afraid to grab you."

"And I'm not afraid to get a little wet!" I chirped.

"What?"

I grinned and did a cannonball into the water. I heard Ghirahim curse as he was soaked by a torrent of water droplets.

I swam over to the side of the pool, feeling a tremor of excitement from the feel of the cool water.

"Come on in; the water's fine!"

Ghirahim backed away. "You know that I don't swim."

"Hey, don't be scared! The water's only...seven or eight feet deep. You'll be fine."

The demon lord scowled. "I'd rather not drown today, thanks."

"Nah, that wouldn't happen. I'd save you again."

Ghirahim glared at me. "I don't need you to save me."

"Great. Then I guess you wouldn't mind if I pulled you in here."

Ghirahim's face looked a bit paler than usual. "You wouldn't dare."

I gave him an angelic look. "Try me."

Ghirahim backed a few yards from the pool.

"Fine. Then I'm also not afraid to swim away. See ya!"

"Sky Child! Get back here this instant!" Ghirahim shouted as I swam backwards, heading towards the other side of the pool.

"Sorry, Mother!" I shouted back.

I smiled and dove under, feeling fresh and rejuvenated as the water passed over my skin.

When I resurfaced at the other side, Ghirahim was waiting with his arms crossed. He said nothing as I climbed out of the water, shaking droplets at him from my hair.

"Quit it, you little brat," he snapped.

I giggled.

"So...what do you wanna do now?"

"Go home."

I rolled my eyes. "You're no fun."

I climbed on top of a nearby mushroom. "Let's just chill out here for a while. I love the woods!"

I grinned and hopped a few times on the mushroom. However, being me, my foot slipped out from underneath me, and I landed on the grass below.

For a second, I lay winded. Then I spread out on the green earth. "Ahh...grasss," I smiled. "I _love _grass."

"You are, perhaps, the strangest child I've ever met." Ghirahim said, watching as I laid in the grass. I moved my arms and legs against its soft surface. I wondered if it was possible to make a grass angel.

"Get up."

"No. You get down."

Ghirahim scowled. "No. Grass is uncomfortable. It makes my skin itch."

"Maybe it wouldn't if you actually wore cloths on half of your body." I muttered.

"And what about grass stains?" Ghirahim retorted.

I rolled my eyes.

"Stop being so prissy, you little princess. Live a little!"

I grabbed his arm and yanked him down. He landed with a thud on his backside to the grass next to me.

"Ouch," he said with as much venom as he could fit into the word.

"Sorry."

I slid my hands underneath my head. "You know, I thought I would hate being down here. But to be honest...it's not so bad."

Ghirahim didn't say anything.

"I mean, sure, riding giant birds through clouds is cool and all, but they barely have any trees. And that sucks for me, because I love climbing trees. They've got like, three trees that I can actually climb. Four tops. So I guess I should thank you for aggressively knocking me down here."

Still, nothing.

"Is something wrong, Ghirahim?" I asked. Still nothing.

"Ghirahim?" I turned to look at him. My eyes widened. He was on his side, twitching. His muscles were tensed up, and he moaned.

I sat bolt upright. "Oh my gosh, it's happening again, isn't it?"

I took his next groan as a yes.

I moved to his side and leaned over him. His face was contorted in pain, and he was sweating.

"Stop," he begged. "It was an accident! Don't hurt me!"

I pushed a few loose strands of hair behind my ear and gently rested my hand on his side.

"Alright, calm down. It's fake, remember? Fake!"

Ghirahim's episode continued, and I still wasn't sure how to snap him out of it. So instead, I made sure the ground was clear so that he wouldn't hurt himself.

Then, I turned him onto his back and pulled his head and shoulders onto my lap.

I rubbed his shoulder and kind of rocked him for a while. Eventually, the trembling died down, and he gasped in a giant gulp of hair.

"You okay?" I asked.

He nodded slowly, his chest heaving.

I pushed the hair out of his eyes in a manner that I hoped was comforting. "You're alright. Just relax. I've got you."

Ghirahim's head lolled back in defeat and he winced.

"You're alright," I repeated.

Neither of us moved for a while, and I was okay with that. After seeing him struck by those hallucinations time after time, all I wanted was to hold him and make everything okay.

I came to terms then with something I'd known for a long time: No matter what seemed to be going on, no matter what he did to make me mad or disappointed, whenever he was in pain, all I ever wanted to do was make it stop. I don't know, maybe when Hylia brought me here she put something in my head to make me feel that way, or maybe I just cared more about him than I realized. Regardless, I knew that this villain that I once mocked and jeered at with my brother was now much more than that.

"Does it hurt?" I asked.

"What?"

I looked down. "When you have one of those visions, does it physically hurt you?"

Ghirahim winced. "In a strange way, yes. It does. Very much so."

"Can you still feel it? Right now?"

The noble nodded. "Yes, I can still feel pain afterwards. Why?"

"Maybe I could use my healing magic to help," I suggested. "Where does it hurt?"

Ghirahim smiled weakly. "Your offer is kind. But that won't be necessary. Besides, this is not something that can be healed. It's caused by magic from Demise himself. You can't do anything about it."

I frowned. "I know I've talked to you about this before, but why do you let Demise do this to you? I mean, it's not like you're forced to serve him. If you just stop serving him, then maybe this will stop. You can be your own leader. Aren't you tired of having the work and stress of a king, and yet only being referred to as second in command?"

Ghirahim sighed. "Please, Sky Child. I haven't the strength or patience to talk about this right now. When will you learn to accept that I've made my choice?"

"But you haven't!" I protested. "If Demise raised you since you were a child, then isn't it likely that he made you _think_ that this is your responsibility? Little kids will believe anything. He probably manipulated your mind into being loyal to him. Leaders have done that all throughout history."

"Please stop talking about this."

I frowned. "Why? Ghirahim I'm trying to _help _you!"

"I don't need help," the demon lord said stiffly. "But you asked for mine. I suppose now is a good time as any."

"What?"

Ghirahim slowly got to his feet. "Get up. You want to train with me? Fine. Let's train."

* * *

We stood apart from each other in the large clearing between the Great Tree and the the entrance to the Deep Woods.

"Now," Ghirahim began, "we've established that you can heal."

"Sort of," I corrected.

"Fine. Sort of. What else can you do?"

I thought for a moment. "I can warp. Sort of."

Ghirahim scowled. "Enough. There is no sort of. Can you, or can you not?"

"Sort of—I mean...yeah. I can."

"Show me."

I took a deep breath, and then I teleported, ending up on top of the white building marking the entrance to the Deep Woods.

Ghirahim clapped slowly. "Congratulations. You can warp short distances without being torn apart. How valuable."

"Your sarcasm is very encouraging," I said dryly.

"Fine. Get down so that we may continue."

I did as I was told, carefully climbing off of the large structure.

"So...what now?"

Ghirahim walked towards me. "Do you want to be able to teleport to farther away places?

"Yeah. I do."

"Alright. Then let me give you a few tips. First, make sure you are using your full concentration. Secondly, picture where you want to go. You can't just decide to warp 'away'. It's too abstract. The consequences may be disastrous."

"Okay. Is that all?"

Ghirahim hesitated. "Well...no. You must release all the energy you have summoned for it to work properly. For instance, when I snap, I am channeling all my stored energy towards my task."

"I'm not snapping."

Ghirahim chuckled. "I hate to tell you this, Sky Child, but you have to do _something _to use large amounts of energy."

"I'm not snapping," I repeated.

"Fine. Then what do you intend to do instead?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. I'll think of something."

"Have it your way then. Give it another try."

I nodded, preparing myself for teleportation. I pictured where I wanted to go. I imagined the stretch of land beside the lake in which I saved Ghirahim's life.

"Alright..." I thought for a moment. Then I got an idea.

I took a deep breath, and then, "ABRA KADABRA!"

It worked.

Sort of.

Sort of, as in I ended up like five feet to the right of where I was originally standing.

"You really expected that to work?" Ghirahim asked, slight amusement in his voice.

"No..."

The demon lord laughed. "It has to be something with a little more..._pizzazz_.Something more physical is more effective than anything verbal."

"Alright..." I bit my lip.

"Do you have something else in mind?"

"Yeah."

"What is it?"

I smiled. "Well...let's just say it's some sass to match your class."

"My..._class_." Ghirahim echoed.

"Yeah, you're right. That's the wrong word for..." I gestured to him, "all of that. But it rhymes so I'm just going to give it to you."

"What in Din's name are you talking about?" Ghirahim asked.

"Just watch."

I doubted what I was about to do was going to work, but at this point, I was just enjoying the comedy of my various failures. Why stay serious?

"Here I go..."

I concentrated, and then...I used my hand to do a giant, exaggerated hair flip.

And then I teleported.

I nearly fell into the lake myself, as I appeared on the very edge of the bank.

"Whoa..." I muttered. Then I smiled. I did it!

Warping back, I couldn't stop smiling.

"How's that for teleporting?" I asked Ghirahim, giving him a smug smile.

He shrugged. "Adequate. Now, we should continue with some non-magic exercises. We wouldn't want to burn you out, would we?"

I laughed quietly. "Preferably not."

"Well, if you're sure..." Ghirahim smiled. "Do ten push ups."

"You know, most people would be like 'drop and give me ten!' or something."

"Oh yeah?" Ghirahim blinked. "Then drop and give me twenty."

"Er...yes sir..." I said, obeying immediately.

The next thing I knew, he was swinging a sword at my head.

"WHOA!" I dropped onto my stomach. "You almost took my head off!"

"Yes. Because you were too slow and you weren't going low enough. If you love grass so much, then you can kiss it for all I care. And do it faster!"

"Okay, okay. Sheesh, I'm trying, you maniac!"

"You should be sweating."

"I am!" I protested. "You just can't—"

I was cut off as his sword whizzed over the top of my head.

"Watch it!"

"Speed up!"

"But I can't! I hate push ups! I think I'm gonna dislocate a shoulder. Again!"

"Good. If you're going to survive my training, you're going to have to be fit."

"Fit, alright. But right now I feel like my arms are going to fall off!"

"Mark my word, girl: If you want me to train you, then I will make you deafen yourself with the sound of your own shrill screams."

"That sounds pleasant. Can I have that instead of this?"

"Sure," Ghirahim nearly cut off my ponytail. "Scream."

I dropped to the ground. "You know what? I think I'm good."

Ghirahim stared at me with a strange glint in his eye. "You realize, Sky Child, that the position you are now in is very..." he licked his lips, "vulnerable."

"Huh?"

Ghirahim swung down, and I had to roll to the side.

"Adequate reflexes," he remarked.

"Are you _insane_?" I yelped.

"Debatable."

He took another swing at me, and I jumped to my feet. "Why are you doing this?"

He smirked. "To teach you not to trust anyone too much. Never let your guard down. You trust too much."

"No I don't!" I shot back. "You just have...trust issues."

"And that's why I'm still alive," he pointed out.

I drew my sword. "Fine. You want to go? Let's do this."

Ghirahim's smirk widened. "Is that a challenge?"

I lifted my chin. "Damn right it is."

"Then..." he bowed. "As you wish."

And then he lept towards me, and we were fighting. I swiped my sword at this neck, and he easily dodged to the side.

"Too slow!" he taunted.

I ignored him, running straight at him.

He warped behind me, and then I felt a cool blade against my jugular.

I swallowed. "Uh...Ghirahim?"

I looked up at him, and he sneered. I could feel his warm breath brush against my face. "Has the Little Remlit gotten herself into a sticky situation?"

I smiled uncertainly. "Er...yeah. Sure."

Ghirahim grinned back. "Smiling in the face of death...I like it."

I chuckled, moving back. "Yeah, and I'm laughing in it too."  
Ghirahim pulled me tighter to him. I was so close that I was moving up and down against his chest as he breathed. "I wonder..."

"What?"

He pressed down a little more with his sword. "Do you trust me?"

I hesitated. And then...

"Yes."

He laughed. "Bad idea." He pressed the edge of his blade even closer to my skin. "Never trust an enemy. Never assume that they will spare you. It will be the last mistake you ever make."

I swallowed, feeling the cool metal graze my throat as I did so. "So...what now?"

"Well..." he wrapped his free arm around my midsection. "If this were real, and I had really wanted to kill you, you would already be dead, and your precious grass would drown in your blood."

"Um..._eww. _So since you _don't _want to kill me, then what next? Not that I don't just _love _being this close to someone with a knife to my throat, I would like to proceed with the fight."

Ghirahim sighed. "Oh, very well."

"So...you're going to let go of me?"

"No. You're going to escape."

I frowned. "What?"

Ghirahim pushed the knife even more, and I had to press my head against the top of his chest to avoid being cut. "Tick tock, tick tock."

I shrugged. "Chances are you are going to end up getting kicked in the groin again."

The demon lord laughed. "Well, now that you've warned me, it's unlikely you could pull that off."

I groaned. "Well, there is one other thing I could do. But...trust me...you've driven me to this."

Ghirahim chuckled. "I'm looking forward to what you have under your sleeve."

In response, I stomped on his foot. As he cringed, his wrist came near my face, and I bit him through his glove.

He just laughed. "How do I taste?"

I made a face. "Like sweat...and perfume."

"Ha ha ha..." Ghirahim said dryly. "I must tell you...that little nip did not hurt. In fact...it was quite pleasurable."

I rolled my eyes so hard that it hurt. "Dude, there is so much wrong with you."

"So, what next? Feeling scared yet?"

"No."

"Is that so? And why is that?"

I smiled and craned my neck backwards so I could look into his eyes. To my relief, they seemed to gleam with something like playfulness. He wasn't serious about this at all! As much as he was trying to make himself sound menacing, I could tell he just thought of this as a game. Granted, that probably wasn't much different than how he thought of real battles, but even so, it was still encouraging.

"You know, Ghir," I began. "I was the youngest sibling growing up. And when you're a girl, and you have an older brother who's always been quite a bit bigger than you, you learn a few things."

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah. My brother would do things like this all the time when we were young. Or, well, youn_ger._ But there was something I could always count on. See, no matter how mad or serious he pretended to be, he was always afraid of one thing."

"And what was that?"

In response, I leaned forward, wincing as the blade cut through the first couple layers of skin on the side of my neck.

Ghirahim flinched back, releasing me at the sight of my blood. I fell to the ground.

"Really hurting me," I responded, standing up.

Ghirahim frowned. "Are you mentally impaired?" He asked. His tone was neutral, but it almost seemed like he was masking a certain degree of concern.

"Nah, I just know guys like you." I put my hand over the cut, which wasn't actually that deep. Even though my healing power was weak, I still managed to repair the skin with minimal effort.

"My brother always acted like he couldn't care less if he hurt me," I went on. "But sometimes,if I pretended to be hurt, he would stop, if only to tell me that I was faking it. And even then there was always some amount of worry in his voice, like he didn't trust himself fully. You may not be my older brother, but like him, you do care about me, even if it isn't as much."

"Fine." Ghirahim sighed. "I suppose you got me. But the purpose of that exercise was to teach you how to escape from such a hold, not to test my fleeting mercy."

"But I _did_ escape," I pointed out.

"You're missing the point."

"Maybe. But I still escaped."

Ghirahim stood at my side. "Look, Sky Child, there aren't always shortcuts in situations like that. There will be a time when you must know how to fight."

"I know," I said. "But at the same time, I think there is always another way to get out of things. I'd rather explore other possibilities than fight."

Ghirahim was quiet for a moment. Then, in a quiet voice, "Perhaps you are more wise than I give you credit for."

I gave him a toothy grin. "Maybe."

Ghirahim raised his sword. "Now...where were we?"

I crossed his blade with my own. "I believe something along the lines of an ultimate showdown."

The demon lord's eyes gleamed. "You're quite right. Prepare yourself!"

The mock fight continued. The sound of metal on metal continuously rang through the forest. I almost knocked Ghirahim's sword from his hands, and I smiled.

"No smiling, Sky Child. It's unprofessional. Keep a straight face!"

I giggled in embarrassment. "Not sure that I can."

"I'm sure that's not the truth."

"No, seriously. All my friends say that I almost never stop smiling. My friend Allison and I timed it once. I couldn't keep a straight face for a full minute. I'm just a little ray of sunshine."

I swung my sword at his neck, and he barely dodged it.

"Nice try, Sky Child. But you will have to do better to beat me!"

I grinned even more as I got the opportunity to quote one of my favorite movies. There was a reason I started this battle with my sword in my left hand. "I admit it. You are better than I am."

Ghirahim blinked. "I'm surprised. You actually complemented me. Why is that?"

"Because I know something you don't know."

"Oh really," he smirked. "What?"

"I am not left-handed!" I exclaimed, switching my sword to my right hand.

Ghirahim chuckled. "I had thought your fighting seemed a bit different." I had to block a strike aimed at my side. "But may I ask...why fight with your non-dominant hand?"

I shrugged. "I just really wanted a chance to say that. Today...I'm the Man in Black!"

He frowned. "Or...the girl in blue. I don't understand how you wouldn't know that."

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever, Inigo Montoya."

"I don't know what that means." Ghirahim said. "But what you don't realize is...I'm not left handed either!"

He switched the sword to his other hand as well.

"That's it!" I exclaimed. "That's Inigo Montoya. But I only have one question."

"And what is that?" Ghirahim asked, our swords crossing between us.

"I was using my left hand just in case a moment like this would pop up. But...why did you use yours?"

"Actually," the demon confessed, "Demise trained me to be ambidextrous. While I'm more coordinated with my right hand, I was using my left to give you an advantage.

"Oh."

I'm not going to lie to you guys. I literally practiced sword-fighting with my left hand at the Knight Academy _just _for a chance to live out that moment. Why? Well, why not?

We carried on for a while. Soon, I began to get tired. But I didn't just want to end the battle. I wanted to _win._

The next time our blades crossed, I kicked him in the shins.

"That's hardly fair." Ghirahim complained. "I thought we were going to have a nice, clean fight. Why don't you stay true to the rules?"

I snorted. "Since when are there _rules _in sword-fighting? I mean, generally when someone is trying to kill you, there aren't really restrictions on what you can do to survive."

"Fair enough. Then I suppose you won't mind if I do this!"

He warped behind me again, tapping me on the shoulder with the flat side of his blade. "You're dead now, Sky Child."

"No, I just lost my left arm. No big deal." I said, hiding the limb behind my back and turning to face him. I gestured to his feet. "Your shoes are untied."

"What?" He glanced down in confusion.

At that moment, I reached out my foot and took out his knee with a kick.

"I can't believe you fell for that!" I exclaimed, doubling over with laughter.

While I laughed at him, Ghirahim took the chance too knock me over as well.

"That was a dirty trick, girl. But next time, I recommend that you take advantage of it instead of finding it so amusing."

"Yeah..." I agreed. "Maybe I messed up a little bit."

We stood up, and I could barely stop laughing.

"Now...are you done with your foolishness?"

I grinned. "Well, I've still got something."

"What?"

I backed up a few feet. "Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die."

"What?"

Then I charged at him, sword raised. At the last second, Ghirahim dodged back. But he was too slow; I tripped over his foot and knocked him to the ground, landing on his chest and nearly smacking my head into his chin.

Ghirahim stared at me as I laid on top of him, stunned. "I thought you said _I _was this... _Inigo_..."

I blinked, and then he smiled. Then I started laughing, harder than I had been before. I let my head drop forward and just stayed there for a moment, trying to stop. After a few moments, I was laughing so hard that my eyes started to water.

"Look what you did!" I managed, sliding off of him.

Ghirahim sat up, still staring at me. Then he smirked. "I thought you said I could never make you cry."

"You can't—you _didn't._ This doesn't count! I...I was just laughing and..."

Ghirahim chuckled.

I laid down on the grass beside him. "I feel so weird."

"Strange," he mused. "Describe weird."

I shrugged. "I don't know how to describe it. It's like...I could just dance around the woods for two hours without breaking a sweat I don't know why."

Ghirahim lowered his voice. "Perhaps you feel strange without having something to hide from me."

My face fell. "Yeah. That must be it."

I tore up a few pieces of grass. "I'm sorry, Ghirahim, I just..."

He shook his head. "Listen, Sky Child, I suppose I should not have reacted so harshly. After all, you only lied about your _name._"

"Yeah..." I said quietly.

We didn't speak for a while. We just sat in uncomfortable silence.

"Should we go back?" I asked.

Ghirahim nodded. "Yes, I should return to my work. I have some business to attend to." He hesitated. "Would you like me to warp us home, or would you like to do it yourself?"

After a moment's consideration, I shook my head. "No, I'm too tired." I grabbed his hand. "You do it."

The noble nodded. "As you wish."

With a snap of his fingers, we disappeared from Faron Woods as friends once again.

* * *

**And scene.**

**Update on this book: I have three more main scenes to get too, along with a couple others. I've already written two of them, so the ending of this book may go a lot faster than I thought. **

**Anyway, I hope you guys got most of my references this chapter. For instance, the movie she was quoting was _Princess Bride_, which is the property of it's respective owners and is only included for entertainment reasons only, not to infringe copyright. Anyway, with that out of the way, I hope you've seen the movie. It's a hilarious classic, and if you haven't, you should really check it out. **

**Thanks for all the favs/favorites/reviews. I'm very happy knowing that you guys are enjoying this, and it's been fun to see you guys guessing about what's going on. Keep it up!**

**And with that, I bid you good day.**

**~Catwhiskers24~**


	53. Chapter 51: Close Quarters

**Back again!**

**Let's see, what do I need to say?**

**Oh yeah.**

**I'm so happy that you guys loved the _Princess Bride _references so much. And yes, Ghirahim saying "as you wish" a few times was also a more subtle reference. Nice job catching that!**

**I also got two enlightening reviews that made me face palm. Thanks, love3509 for explaining the difference between complement and compliment. I totally forget they were two separate words! Some writer I am. And thanks, Grimy Sixpence, who just reviewed and let me know I have Pipit's name wrong. Wow...to be honest I used to have it right, but then I looked it up and I think my eyes played a trick on me, and I thought it was Pitpit. Thanks for clearing that up. **

**Now that the thank-yous are out of the way, I have a few questions to answer. **

**The Shy Potato: If we're thinking of the same scene that I've hinted about, no, it's not in this one. I believe it may or may not exist early on in the next one. **

**Pretty sure that's it for now.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own LOZ or its characters, but the OC's, alternate story-line, and plot twists are all mine.**

* * *

**Marissa's POV**

After returning to the Manor from Faron Woods, we were greeted by an unexpected surprise. A group of stable-boys were waiting outside the courtroom.

"What is it?" I asked Ghirahim in confusion.

"I'm about to find out."

I followed Ghirahim as he approached the small group.

"What business do you have with me at this hour?" He demanded.

"It's...a letter, My Lord," one of them answered, holding out a crumpled piece of paper.

"What? From whom?"

The boy shrugged. "We don't know. A few days ago, one of the horses disappeared. It came back carrying this. That's all we know."

Ghirahim opened the letter and scanned it.

"Do you know what this is about?" I asked.

"No. This letter is useless to me," he answered, glaring at the paper in contempt.

I looked over his shoulder. "Can I see it?"

Ghirahim shrugged. "Perhaps you can make something out of this nonsense."

I took the tattered parchment. The letter was more like a brief note. In hastily written letters, it said:

* * *

_**M—**_

_**V and I are safe. We have reached our destination, and we have a plan. Sorry this is so short, but I didn't want to risk it falling into the wrong hands. I'll attempt better contact sometime soon...I hope. **_

_** Please take care of yourself. I worry about you. From over here, it seems there is a storm coming in your direction. Take whatever shelter you can. This is bigger than you think.**_

_** —A**_

_**P.S. Take care of O for me, will you? And...I want you to know that I...**_

* * *

Parts of the letter were crossed out, as if the sender had thought better of what he'd wanted to say. Even so, I could still make out parts of the discarded text, but not all of it.

I didn't have to be a rocket scientist to know who it was from.

"Does this mean anything to you?" Ghirahim asked.

I hesitated briefly, and then I crumpled the letter into a ragged ball. "Nah..." I said, not meeting his eyes. "I have no idea what this is about. I mean...who has a letter for a name?"

I chuckled nervously. Ghirahim didn't seem to be fully convinced, but he didn't accuse me of anything.

I stuffed the piece of paper into my pocket. "I'm tired. I'm going to go to sleep. I suggest you do the same."

"Not yet," Ghirahim said wearily. "I still have other matters to attend to."

"Alright. Just...don't stay up all night, okay?"

Ghirahim said nothing. I patted him on the shoulder as I passed him. Exhausted, I managed to drag myself up the stairs.

* * *

I sat on my bed. This was probably my favorite time of day. After sunset, Ghirahim typically left me alone. I was free to do whatever I wanted, as long as I stayed in my room. I know what you're thinking: Sweet! No bedtime! Marissa is gonna stay up until midnight! Well, um, no. As much as I would like to say I spent the entire night partying, I didn't. Usually I just went to bed. Being Ghirahim's bodyguard, healer, apprentice, and companion all at once was exhausting, and frankly there really wasn't much to do up there.

I changed into my lounge wear and crawled under the covers. I blew out the candle by my bedside, and closed my eyes.

Thirty seconds later I jolted awake to that dreaded noise.

Ghirahim's bellow sounded through the walls. "SERVANT, I REQUIRE YOUR ASSISTANCE!"

"Really?" I muttered. I climbed out of bed, stumbling towards the door ill-temperedly and flung it open. I stalked across the hall to his room.

"What could you possibly need at this late at night?" I demanded with a scowl.

"Come in." He called from inside.

I put a hand on the handle, but I hesitated. "Wait, why? What do you need that has to be done in there?"

"I am getting into my attire for a very important meeting, but I have run into a rather embarrassing problem."

I did not like the sound of that.

"Come in," he repeated.

I recoiled in horror.

"No!" I shrieked.

"Why not?"

"_Because..." _I spluttered. "You don't just go into someone's room. Especially someone, _who's changing_."

"I don't see the problem."

"Dude, what the heck? You could be very _naked _right now," I protested, shivering at the thought. "I'd prefer not to be scarred for life."

A flicker of annoyance flared up in me as I heard an amused chuckle from inside. I felt my cheeks flush.

"I can assure you that is not the case, Sky Child. It's just...a finishing touch, if you will."

I sighed and palm met brow. "You promise I won't have to see anything...like..?"

"I promise," He responded, wavering patience in his voice.

"Okay, I'm coming in, but I swear..." I trailed off as I opened the door.

I stepped in uncertainly. I saw Ghirahim from the back, wearing a thin black suit. It was weird not seeing him in his signature vermilion cape.

I cleared my throat. "Um...you rang?"

He turned to face me. "Ah...yes, I did." He walked towards me. "What do you think?"

I raised an eyebrow at him. "You're asking _me_ for fashion advice? Ha. Look, pal; I'm the wrong person to ask. But as far as I'm concerned, it looks fine."

His outfit consisted of a tight white undershirt with a dark overcoat. Black, clingy pants sat snugly on his hips. Like usual, he wore no shoes, but black sock, legging things. His face looked about the same, though his hair was a bit slicked back. His traditional blue diamond earring hung from his ear. He looked just like the dandy that he was.

"Well?" He asked.

I smiled. "You look fabulous."

He scowled. "I know that. I want you to tell me something I can do to improve it. _Anything_! It just doesn't look finished."

"Dude, you look totally dapper. Suave. You'll be fine."

"But it feels like something's missing."

I rolled my eyes at him. "Don't you have some handmaiden that can do this?"

He stared at me in confusion. "You realize handmaidens are usually maids for a _female_ noble, right?"

"Yup, I know, princess," I chirped.

If looks could kill, I would be dead and buried.

"To answer your question, no, usually I am capable of getting dressed on my own," He said dryly. "But, I feel like a second opinion would be good. This is an extremely important meeting. All the powerful demons of the realm will be there. And being Demise's main servant, I will be one of the main lords there."

"Mm, aren't you special?" I grinned. "Anyways...hmm...let's see." I looked him up and down. "What about a tie?"

He stared at me blankly. "A..._Tie_?" He echoed.

Oh, of course. They weren't invented yet. Maybe we could start a trend.

"Yeah. They're these cloth things men wear around their necks where I come from."

"Give me one of these...'ties'," Ghirahim commanded.

"Dude, you need the tie itself. It's kind of hard for me to tie it for you if you don't already have one," I explained sheepishly.

"What do they look like?" He asked.

"Well, they're like a long, glossy strip of fabric." I said. "But..."

I trailed off as he summoned a nearly perfect piece of cloth with a snap of his fingers. Of course.

"Will this suffice?" He asked. I stared at it.

"Um...yeah...but you realize girls don't usually wear ties?"

"Your point?"

"Well a lot of girls don't know _how _to tie ties. What makes you think I would be an exception?"

"Considering what other tricks you seem to have up your sleeve, I think it's highly likely. Besides, you aren't a particularly girly girl."

"And you aren't exactly a manly man." I retorted.

"Do you know how to do it or not?"

"Yeah." I took the cloth. "You're just lucky that I'm curious about random things like this."

I wrapped it around his neck, and began to tie it.

"Honestly, Ghirahim, I don't know how you survived before I got here."

He rolled his eyes, but he didn't respond.

I struggled to tie the traditional knot, and he raised his brow.

"Hang on, I'll remember how to do this eventually," I muttered.

After a few minutes of trial and error, I figured out how to do it. I tightened the messy knot to his throat. My hand slipped, and I pulled it too tight. He coughed, his eyes wide.

"Sorry!" I exclaimed, loosening it, and then flattening it against his warm, firm...ahem,, his chest. He turned to look at his reflection. He tilted his head and turned slightly.

"Do you like it?"

He shrugged. "I suppose it will do."

"Great. I'm going to go back to sleep before I collapse from exhaustion." I said, slowly backing towards the door.

"I just need one more little favor."

"Of course..." I muttered sleepily. "What do you need me to do now? Chew your food for you? Run across the manor?"

I know, I know; sometimes my sarcasm could be a little rude...I know. It's just, I was always a little hyperactive at night. I'd always said I was practically nocturnal, but that night, I was just way too tired.

Ghirahim smiled a crooked smile. "No, Skychild. I simply need you to accompany me to the meeting."

"Wait, what?" I blinked, stunned. "Why me?"

"Is it that unreasonable to ask for my guard to come to such a large social situation? I never said the other lords in this land were particularly fond of me. Besides, what if the Rebels found a way to sneak in? I would appreciate a second pair of eyes to keep watch."

I frowned. "But I am _terrible_ at social events. I don't like talking to people I don't know very well—especially not in such a serious situation."

"That's okay; I will do the talking." His gaze dropped down to the floor, almost like he was self-conscious. "Besides, I believe its time I appeared before the other nobles with a woman at my side."

"_What_?" I screeched. "Okay, if that's your reasoning behind asking me to come, then you can _forget it. _I am not coming with you!"

"It's either this or staying here to clean weapons all night. You may decide which is more preferable."

I clenched my fists. "Fine, I'll go with you. But _just_ as a friend." I said.

"We're friends?"

I scowled at him. That was _my line._

"Whatever. When is the meeting, anyway?"

He glanced out the window. "Well, it'll be midnight in about an hour." He answered calmly.

I gawked at him. "Wait a second; this meeting is at _midnight_?" I exclaimed.

He nodded. "Yes. Tonight is the first blood-red eclipse of the year. We always have a meeting on this day in the dead of night," he answered, as if it were obvious. I was starting to rethink this. I mean, I'd stayed up well past midnight for school work on some nights, but I usually wasn't outside or doing stuff out of the house that late. This was really sounding like a very bad idea.

"About the sword cleaning thing...how many weapons are we talking about?"

"All of them." He stated smugly.

I let out a dramatic huff. "Fine. Whatever. When are we leaving?"

"Any time now." He answered, blinking calmly. "I'll give you ten minutes to get ready. You better be back here by then, or I'm leaving you behind. Then the bokoblins can decide what to do with you."

"Ten _minutes_?" I exclaimed. "You can't just...I mean...girls can't just... _Ugh_!" I stuttered, giving up and stomping away.

I looked in the mirror in my room. My hair was a rat's nest of brown mousy hair. Strands stuck to the corner of my mouth, and half my face had red lines on it from the pillow.

"That's hot." I muttered, attempting to tame the mane that was my hair. I washed my face and changed into my knight uniform. I tucked my hair back into a messy bun, as I thought that may look a little more official. It wasn't perfect, but it was good enough.

I sped out of my room and knocked on his door.

"I'm ready." I called. He opened the door and looked me up and down.

"How do I look?" I asked. He hesitated.

"Well, I suppose it's too late for you to change now."

He walked towards the staircase without a second glance at me. I clenched my fists and followed him.

He waited at the top of the stairs, and held out an arm.

"What?"

"Take my arm."

"No! I don't do physical contact!"

"Its traditional."

"Well I don't give a..." I broke off as he grabbed my arm.

This would be fun.

* * *

"Come, Sky Child." Ghirahim called.

We stepped out of the manor. He touched my arm, and the next thing I knew, we had vanished in a flurry of red and yellow diamonds. Still practically half-asleep, I screamed in surprise.

We appeared somewhere I didn't recognize. I swayed slightly, feeling the nauseous effects of warping.

I slugged Ghirahim on the arm half-heartedly.

"How many times do I have to tell you to warn me when you do that?" I whined irritably.

He rubbed his ear.

"I will...if you warn _me_ when you're going to scream like a banshee."

I looked around. We stood before a large hall with stained glass windows. It was t-shaped and had a large, extra tall room in the middle.

"Welcome..." Ghirahim said, "to the Gathering Hall!"

He led me to the main doors, explaining, "This is where all the powerful demons gather when there is a problem plaguing the land. Impressive, no?"

"It sure is something," I admitted. Ghirahim opened the door and motioned for me to go in. Clusters of demons were mingling around here and there. One of the nobles spotted us and approached in a regal manner.

"Greetings, Ghirahim," the noble began. "How have you been?"

He was short and stout, with a precisely trimmed mustache. I tried not to stare at him. In fact, I tried looking anywhere but him, hoping he wouldn't notice me.

Ghirahim put on a fake smile. I got the feeling he didn't like the noble too much. "Fine, thanks. And you, Lord Bartholomew?"

The noble smiled back with equally hidden animosity. "Excellent, thanks. My estate has been working with twice its normal efficiency." He glanced at me. "And who is this?"

I froze. _There's someone looking at me. He probably expects me to talk. What do I say? _

Ghirahim saved me. "This is my lady friend..." he glanced at me. At first, I wasn't sure what he was waiting for, and then I realized that he wasn't sure who to introduce me as.

"Ocean," I spoke up. "The name's Ocean."

The noble waited expectantly, and Ghirahim nudged me. I glanced up at him in confusion.

The other noble eventually gave up and nodded to me instead. "It was a pleasure meeting you."

"Charmed." I said. I realized afterward how ungenuine the single word sounded.

"That could have gone better," Ghirahim stated dryly. Another noble approached, this time completely ignoring me.

"Smile. You're not giving yourself a good image," he said out of the corner of his mouth.

"I hate this so much," I muttered back.

Ghirahim sighed. "I suppose I cannot blame you for your inept performance, but please, try to stay true to basic mannerisms."

"What are you talking about?"

"Nevermind," he hissed. "I'll explain it to you later."

We were quiet for a few moments.

"Seriously, 'the name's Ocean'? Have you no better way to introduce yourself?"

"Oh, _you're_ one to talk. '_Lady friend?' _You're going to give everyone the wrong idea!"

"That's the point," he muttered back.

I elbowed him as hard and subtly as possible.

Ghirahim shushed me as the next noble approached. Eventually, after what seemed like an eternity, the meeting began.

We took our seats near the end of the table. I squirmed around, feeling uncomfortable. And I was cold as well. It was all I could do to not shiver. I looked around. There was a plate of food at each seat. Ghirahim opened his mouth as if to speak, but he was interrupted. A large, green demon cleared his throat.

"It is a pleasure for I, Lord Verdis, to begin the annual Meeting of the Blood-Red Eclipse as the host of this year's ceremonies. Now that we have all gathered, I would like to make some reports. My estate is working well. We have produced more than enough food for my estate and any that need aid. Preparations for this year's ball and other ceremonies are being made as we speak." Murmurs ran along the table. Several other demons made reports. Then Ghirahim stood up.

"I am proud to announce that my plan has almost come together. Demise will be resurrected very soon now." He reported. One of the other demons snickered.

"As if."

Bartholomew spoke up. "Lord Ghirahim, you have used more than enough time on this petty task. You report that you are getting close every year, and yet there are never any results. I recommend you focus on other aspects of the realm's prosperity."

"We will still be imprisoned by Hylia's seal. Sure, this year we have enough food to scrape by, but what about in the future? Do we really want our children and grandchildren to be held back by this seal? We have to take back what is ours! I propose that you help me free Demise. I propose you help me free us all!" No one responded. You could practically hear crickets chirp in the background. Eventually, Ghirahim sat down. I gave him a sympathetic look, which he ignored.

Suddenly, a bluish man with a black pattern on his face and arms seemed to appear out of the shadows. "And risk an all-out war with the Skyloftians? What about Hylia? Surely she will not stay dormant for long."

"Lord Twilan, please-"

"No!" he sent an accusing look at Ghirahim. "The entire reason I broke my estate off of the rest of this realm was to protect my people from war. I did not engulf my home in shadows just for you to ruin the fragile peace we try so hard to maintain. I fear not even the twilight will stop war from reaching my new realm. I cannot let war tear apart what I've worked so hard to build. Especially with a little one back at home. I do not wish my granddaughter's child, Midna, to have to deal with this madness. All I want for her is peace."

I just about choked on my gulp of water.

"Wait, did you say..._Midna_?" I gasped. I was acutely aware of everyone's gaze burning into my face.

The elderly man looked at me in confusion. "Yes, my great-granddaughter's name is Midna. Why?"

I shrank back in my chair, petrified by all the attention.

"Oh...um...nothing. It's just...a pretty name." I said sheepishly. Twilan raised an eyebrow at me.

"Thank you." He said, though he didn't look convinced. "As I was saying, I don't want the children of my realm to have to grow up in a war-torn land..."

Ghirahim sent me a warning look. I sat back in my chair in embarrassment.

As the meeting progressed, I began zoning out, thinking about what I'd just heard, until I was on the brink of a full on epiphany. I didn't like the idea of that happening here, so I turned to Ghirahim.

"I have to use the bathroom."

"Can't it wait?" he asked, scowling.

"I really have to go." I said, hoping he would understand. He blinked and then nodded.

"Very well."

I slid out of my chair and walked out of the room, mind spinning.

I wandered down the halls, alone with my thoughts. This had suddenly turned into something much bigger. If Midna and the Twili existed in this world, did that mean everything from the Zelda franchise was here as well? I guess Skyward Sword was supposed to be the origin of the series. But wouldn't that mean Midna was, like, really old in Twilight Princess? Or do Twili just age really slow? I shook my head to clear it. Whatever the reason, I shouldn't dwell on it.

I walked for several minutes and then turned back. As I approached the meeting room again, I heard raised voices from inside. I recognized a few of them, including Ghirahim's. Before I knew what was happening, the door flung open.

Said demon raced out and grabbed my arm, dragging me down the hallway.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" I yelped.

"The peace has been broken. They think you went off to investigate the rest of the manor. They think I'm using you against them."

"Like a spy?"

"Exactly." Ghirahim looked around. "We have to hide. They mean to kill you."

At this I desperately looked around. I spotted a perfect place.

"In here!" I exclaimed, yanking him into a maintenance closet with me. I slammed the door shut, painfully aware of what a cliché hiding spot this was. And...of how close we were.

"Get your arm off my waist!" I snapped.

"You're stepping on my foot, Sky Child."

"And your elbow's in my ribs. Damnit, Ghirahim that hurts! I hate this!"

"Such a pity..." He muttered.

"What?"

"So many of my female servants would kill for an...opportunity like this."

"_Huh?_"

"To be in such close quarters with a dime like me is _quite_ the rare treat for many woman."

At that comment, I promptly stomped on his foot. Soon, the footsteps faded. I tried the lock.

"It won't open."

"What are you talking about?"

"It won't. See?" I tried again, just for the handle to come off in my hand. I swallowed.

"I...um...broke it..."

Ghirahim huffed in annoyance.

"Well this is a _fine_ situation you've gotten us into!" He hissed in irritation.

"Hey! I'm the one stuck in here with a criminal!" I snapped back.

Who would want to be so close to a _villain_?

"Criminal you say...is it because I've _stolen_ your heart?" Ghirahim asked sweetly.

At this, the darkness looked red, and I was sure glad he couldn't see my face, because I'm pretty sure I was blushing.

"THAT'S IT! WHEN WE GET OUT OF HERE YOU ARE _SO_ DEAD!" I shouted.

"Keep screaming, and we both will be. Now, I am going to kick down the door, and then we'll have to run. They've disabled magic by now, I'm sure."

"Okay," I breathed. There was a bang, and the door broke down. The next thing I knew, people were shouting and I was running for my life.

* * *

Getting out of that meeting had been quite an ordeal. Luckily, though, Ghirahim had managed to explain the situation, and they had reluctantly let us go.

"Well, that was something," I muttered to Ghirahim as we trudged towards the manor.

"Indeed it was."

I looked at the ground. "Hey Ghirahim?"

"Yes?"

"Sorry for being so...aloof back there. Sorry, but...I just tense up in those situations. I have no idea why. I like people...but...I don't know...I guess I just am terrible at first impressions."

Ghirahim sighed. "It's alright, Sky Child. I suppose it wasn't fair of me to put you in a situation like that."

"Just...do me a favor, will you?"

"Yes?"

"Never make me come with you to things like that again. Please. I think it's for the best."

"Perhaps you're right," Ghirahim admitted.

We kept walking. Eventually, the entrance to the manor came into sight.

"Come on, let's..." I trailed off as a single flake of white fell from the vivid dawn sky and landed on my nose. A felt a cold sting, and then the white particle melted against my skin.

"_Snow_?"

* * *

**Surprise! Didn't I mention there might possibly be other Zelda characters in this story?**

**Whoops.**

**Anyway, they won't be in it much, except maybe the last book. The final battle will be epic. Wait, did I say there would be a big battle? **

**Whoops again.**

**What else is there to say...**

**Until I get strikethrough to work on fanfiction, if I need to cross something out for effect, I'll underline it. Just try to use your imagination. Also, I try to write each narrative like the actual character is writing it. So if _they _cross something out, it's supposed to be like they changed their mind about writing it.**

**This is another one of the chapters I wrote a while ago, but unfortunately, it took a while to edit and finish because when I wrote it, I wasn't sure how far in the story it would happen, so there were a few things I had to fix. And then formatting was a jerk. Yeah.**

**Anyway, thanks like always to everyone who left reviews. Keep it up! And if you're not fav/following and you're still reading this, I'd recommend it. It's up to you though. And just as a heads up, I might be a bit busier starting this week. My new commitment will end around October, but until then, I'll have a bit less free time, but I'm still going to try super hard to wrap up part one this month.**

**Well...see you, then.**

**~Catwhiskers24~**


	54. Chapter 52: Snow Day

**Hey people. I'm back with another update.**

**Well, I was happy to see that you guys were so excited about the budding romance. But remember, I take it slow, otherwise I feel like it would be too rushed. To be honest, I've never written a romance before. I've written stuff for school, but this is all new to me.**

**Anywho,**

**Yackwabit: Having said that, I'll still try to estimate an answer. No need to interrogate me. I'd say...maybe later on in..._one of the books. _Yeah, not sure if I want to spoil anything.**

**Well, that's all the questions I have a sort of answer to. Now read!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own LoZ or its characters, but the OC's, alternate story-line, and plot twists are all mine.**

* * *

**Marissa's POV**

I looked up as dozens of other snowflakes joined the first.

Ghirahim watched a snowflake land on his arm. "This is unexpected. I rarely see snow here. The weather _is _fairly unpredictable, though."

I smiled, catching a snowflake on my tongue. "It's been forever since I've seen snow."

"I'd hope so, considering it never snows in Skyloft."

I turned around. Ghirahim was frowning. "How do you know about snow, anyway?"

I bit my lip. "We...er...read about it I think. One of the old textbooks explained it."

"Is that so?"

"Yeah. It was a chapter and a half."

"I don't believe you."

I sighed. "You're right. Okay, yeah I've seen snow. But only because it somehow snows back home."

Ghirahim blinked. "Back home?"

"Yeah...somehow it snows on the isolated little island I come from. Strange, huh?"

Ghirahim looked away. "Not as strange as you, I must say."

I laughed awkwardly. "True."

I grabbed his arm. "Come on. Let's get back to the manor before you get hypothermia or something."

Ghirahim allowed me to pull him towards the entrance to the manor, but somehow, I knew he still didn't believe me.

* * *

After entering the manor, I decided I didn't want to sleep. I had another idea.

"Where are you going?" Ghirahim asked, watching me walk down a nearby hallway.

"I'm going on an adventure."

"What?" He stared at me in confusion. "Haven't you had enough excitement for one day?"

I shrugged. "Follow me, if you want."

Ghirahim followed me all the way to the library.

"So this is what you meant by 'an adventure'," he realized.

"Yeah. This was all the excitement I used to get when I was a kid. Just stepping into the world of one of these books was like living a different life. I could sit and read for hours." I explained, taking a nearby book off the shelf. "Is this one good?"

Ghirahim shrugged. "I'm afraid I have no idea. I haven't read it."

I moved on, tracing my fingers along the edges of the books. "Then what _have _you read? Any suggestions?"

He shrugged. "It's been a while since I've read anything for entertainment."

I frowned. "You mean to say...You don't read fictional stories?"

He shook his head. "What's the point?"

I gaped at him. "Um...you haven't _lived._ Reading is amazing! You can leave your boring everyday life for a few hours and let yourself be absorbed by a page of words. How can you _not _read?"

Ghirahim shrugged. "I have better things to do."

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that," I said icily. I tossed him a book. "Come on."

"What?"

"You're just going to read a normal, fictional book for an hour or two. Now come on. Sit down."

I took a book for myself and sat on one of the cushioned chairs.

Ghirahim shook his head. "I'm afraid I haven't the time."

I rolled my eyes. "Come on, Ghir. You can't do much about Zelda until she actually arrives at the next temple, right? So until then, you've got nothing but time."

Ghirahim hesitated.

"Alright, listen. My...island...is much more advanced in medical sciences than you guys. And back home, it's well known that working none stop is not good for you. Stress will raise your blood pressure, and trust me; you don't want that. Stress is bad for you. Come here."

Ghirahim reluctantly approached where I was sitting on the chair.

"Give me your hand."

"Why?"

"Just do it."

The demon lord hesitantly held out his hand. I took it gently in mine. I realized I would have to take off his gloves, so I started pulling the fabric from the tip of his finger. He immediately jerked his arm away.

"What are you doing?"

"I just have to take off your glove. Chill."

Ghirahim shook his head. "I should really be getting back to work. The courtroom needs attending."

"Wait. Why don't you want me to see your hands?"

Ghirahim frowned. "That's not it, it's just..."

"Then what?"

He sighed. "I just...don't want to talk about it, okay?"

I frowned. "You can tell me. I won't judge you. You can trust me."

Ghirahim didn't meet my eyes. "I'm sorry."

I bit my lip. "Wait...if you keep hiding things like this, then what makes you think I'll stop hiding stuff myself?"

He sighed. "I just rather not talk about this."

I stood up and took his arm. "Sometimes it helps to talk. Just...give me a chance, alright?"

He reluctantly let me pull the glove from his hand. What I saw made me freeze.

"Oh, Ghirahim..."

He said nothing. His palm was covered in thin, faded scars. Additional marks crossed the base of his wrist.

"What happened to you?" I asked quietly.

He didn't answer.

I guided him to the couch perpendicular to the chair and sat near him.

I held his hand in my own, lightly tracing my finger over the scars.

"Please tell me what happened."

To my surprise, Ghirahim obliged.

"Remember the first time I trained you in sword fighting, when I told you Demise had intense ways of punishing me? I believe I told you about the time that he forced me to pick up broken glass with my bare hands. These...these scars..."

"Oh..." I bit my lip. "I think you showed me your hand that day. It was just for a second, though. I didn't see how...bad...it was."

Ghirahim sighed. "Yes. And the scars around my wrist are from..." his voice broke. "I told you...I would prefer not to discuss this any more. It's just..."

I nodded, now feeling sorry that I had forced him to remember such pain.

I rubbed the back of his hand with my thumb. "You're okay."

"What?"

I cleared my throat. "You're going to be okay. I'm not going to let anything like this happen to you again. I promise."

Ghirahim smiled weakly.

Wanting desperately to change the subject, I did what I had intended to do from the start. I placed my fingers on the large vein in his wrist, feeling his pulse. It may have been my imagination, but it seemed like his heartbeat was fast.

"Yep. You definitely have high blood pressure. You better relax for a while."

In all honesty, I had no idea how to tell if someone's blood pressure was too high, but I didn't let on. Instead, I just pretended like I knew what I was doing. In fact, I had no idea id it had anything to do with his pulse, but I thought it would be more convincing to test something.

"You're blood pressure is way too high. You've got to rest."

Ghirahim shook his head. "There will be rest after Demise returns. Until then, I must work vigilantly."

I rolled my eyes. "Come on, Ghir, Just chill for a while. Everything is fine."

Ghirahim stood up, ignoring me. "I'm sorry. I must not give in to any distractions.

"Fine." I walked to the window. "It's really coming down out there, isn't it?"

Ghirahim nodded. "Yes. It appears the ground is already covered by several feet."

I watched the clumps of snowflakes land on the ground. Ghirahim was right—there was a lush blanket of snow stretching as far as the eye could see.

"That snow looks pretty moist."

"I suppose it does," Ghirahim agreed.

"It looks perfect for a snowball fight," I went on, turning to face him with a toothy grin.

"A what?"

My jaw dropped. "You mean to say...you've never been in a snowball fight?"

The demon lord shrugged. "I haven't."

I tugged at his arm. "Come on!"

"What?"

"We're going to make up your lost childhood."

"Right now?"

I nodded.

The noble turned away. "I can't."

I let out a sigh of frustration. "Fine. I'll go entertain myself, then."

Ghirahim didn't stop me as I headed out of the room and down the hall. I knew exactly what I wanted to do, but I would need some help.

I made my way towards the barracks. Yes, I would need some help from a rather large monster.

* * *

**Ghirahim's POV**

I sat at my desk with a sigh. It had been tempting to go and enjoy the snow with the girl, but I knew that would accomplish nothing.

I opened a few of my books and began to read.

In a moment, I heard a knock at my door.

"Yes?"

"May I come in, My Lord?" Leal requested.

"Oh, very well."

I heard the door open, and my servant stepped in.

"Some reports, sir."

I sighed. "Fine. Let me hear them."

Leal cleared his throat. He began to tell me about the various happenings of the kingdom. Apparently the Rebel's had been laying low. No one had seen them in several days. It made me suspicious.

Leal stood by my window. "I'm afraid the peace in this estate will not last."

"I know."

The short demon stared over the rolling hills. "You know, Demise may never return. Perhaps it's time for you to take your place as leader."

I stared at him in astonishment. "Leal! How could you say something like that? Our Master will return eventually. I will make sure of it."

"And if you fail?"

I said nothing.

"My Lord, you realize, the people are beginning to give up on you. They'd like to see you make some sort of progress."

"And what do you mean by...progress?"

Leal was silent for a moment. "Perhaps if you made your relationship with the girl official—"

"Wait..." I frowned. "Relationship?"

The servant nodded. "Remember what we discussed."

"I know..." I sighed. "But I'm not ready for that."

"You might not have a choice," Leal warned.

He was staring at something outside. I followed his gaze. The girl was visible from my window. She had a moblin shield in her hands as she approached a steep hill. As I watched, she set down the shield, sat on top of it, and slid down the hill. I couldn't help but chuckle as she nearly tumbled off at the bottom. She got back up and then carried the sled back up the slope.

"She's a strange one," I mumbled.

"Yes. But she seems happy."

I didn't respond.

"Does it please you that she finally seems happy here?"

I shrugged. "Perhaps."

Leal continued to look at her. "I think you could learn a thing or two from her."

I blinked. "What exactly are you referring to?"

The shorter demon looked at me. "Haven't you noticed how easily the girl finds joy?"

I shrugged again. "I suppose she is easily pleased. So what?"

He returned his gaze to the window. "When I was a boy, my father told me there was a certain key to happiness. He said the happiest people aren't always the ones in the best situations; they are the ones with the best outlook in any situation. Just look at her: she's been away from home for weeks, and yet she still is having the time of her life out there. Perhaps its time that you started thinking about your own happiness."

I stared at him in confusion. "Why are you telling me this?"

Leal dipped his head. "I am sorry. As one of the few demons Demise chose to preserve, I have been serving you your entire life. And I suppose...I suppose I just desire to see you at peace. I want you to be fulfilled. You've been working at the same goal for as long as I have served you. Perhaps the girl is right. Maybe you need a break."

I was silent for a moment.

"Thank you for the report, Leal. You may leave now."

The older demon hesitated, but then he nodded. I heard him quietly open and close the door. And I...I continued to watch the girl. It was strangely fascinating, watching her climb all the way up the hill, just to slide back down again. It seemed maddening. Did she never tire from it?

I glanced at the papers on my desk, and then back out the window. Then I left the room.

* * *

Leal walked down a maze of halls, returning to his master's courtroom after making himself a cup of tea. But Ghirahim wasn't there. Confused, Leal checked Ghirahim's room.

"Where are you, My Lord?" He wondered out loud.

A flicker of worry ignited in his stomach. Had the rebels struck, just after he told his master that they were lying low?

Suddenly, a flicker of movement from out the window caught Leal's attention. He moved closer to get a better view, letting out a breath of relief as he spotted his master's red cape. Ghirahim and the girl were throwing large handfuls of snow at each other.

Ghirahim turned around, and Leal glimpsed a large grin on his leader's face.

Leal couldn't help but smile as he took another sip of tea, watching the two put their worries behind them and enjoy the crisp winter day.

* * *

**Marissa's POV**

As I carried my sled up for what was probably the hundredth time, I heard footsteps from behind. My head swiveled around, and I blinked in surprise at the newcomer.

"You came!" I exclaimed.

Ghirahim nodded. "I did."

I was probably grinning like an idiot.

"Sky Child?"

"What?"

"The shield..."

My face flushed. "Yeah, I know. It belongs to a moblin. I just borrowed it from the barracks so I could go sledding. I'll give it back, honest!"

"No," Ghirahim said. "_The shield. _Look!"

I whipped around. The shield, free of my grasp, was sliding down the hill without me.

"Damn!" I yelped, running after it. "Wait!"

Before I could take more than a few steps down the hill, the shield had already slid into one of the trees at the bottom, splitting in half.

"Crap." I muttered.

Ghirahim cleared his throat. "You don't have to return that."

I chuckled awkwardly. "Yeah...it's kinda useless now." I turned to face him. "So...what do you want to do?"

Ghirahim shrugged. "I have no idea. What does one typically do in the snow?"

I shrugged. "Well, since you asked..." I gathered a mitt of snow into my hand. In a flash, I threw it at Ghirahim, hitting him in the stomach.

He winced, jumping back and then glaring at me. "What was that for?"

"That," I grinned, "is how one starts a snowball fight."

Ghirahim stared at me, still looking annoyed. Then, he stooped down a picked up his own handful of snow, flinging it at me. I barely dodged out of the way, laughing as I did so.

And thus began a beautiful war of semi-frozen water, and I could barely stop laughing.

I tossed a snowball at Ghirahim's face, and he dodged, flinging some snow back at me. He had a strange look in his eyes. It was almost...happiness. Excitement. And yet, he almost looked crazed with that wild glint in his eye. For a moment I was a bit worried that his sadistic side was taking over, and that he was actually trying to hurt me. But no...it wasn't. One look at his smile and I knew it was just amusement.

One of the snowballs hit me in the stomach, and I stumbled back, winded. Another hit to the shoulder and I was tumbling down the hill.

When I reached the bottom, I winced. Then I looked up. I was just inside the entrance to the line of trees. I stared up at the leafless branches surrounding the edges of my vision; I looked between them at the white sky. Then I started laughing even harder, smiling so hard that my face hurt. I don't know why. Something about staring up at the sky, at the tops of the trees...it was just...amazing.

I closed my eyes and just laid there, enjoying the cool feeling of the snow beneath me. Within a few seconds Ghirahim slid to a stop next to me.

"Are you alright, Sky Child?"

I nodded. "I'm perfect, thanks." I stretched out. "I love snow _so much_"

Ghirahim stared at me for a few seconds. "You seem to love a lot of things."

"Yeah," I admitted. "Pretty much everything."

"Everything?" Ghirahim asked, giving me a sly look. It took me a few seconds to realize what he was insinuating.

"I didn't mean..." I covered my now red face with my hands.

Ghirahim laid down beside me and gave me that look he was so good at. You know, that one that made me want to punch him in the face.

"Oh shut up..." I muttered, turning away.

Ghirahim leaned closer, a mischievous look in his eye. "Make me."

"Alright." I picked up a handful of snow and dropped it on his head.

Ghirahim stood up, shivering and pawing handfuls of melting snow from his hair. I got to my feet as well.

Ghirahim shoved me, and I shoved him back. I grinned and grabbed onto his arm, and he tossed me aside. I found myself sliding across the surface of the snow. I picked up another snowball and threw it at him, catching him in the cheek. He stumbled back, falling on his back end into the snow.

I walked over to him and gave him a hand up. He shivered a little. His skin was starting to get a pale look to it.

"Hey, Ghir, you should probably go in. You're gonna get frostbite with that skimpy outfit on."

Ghirahim didn't argue. I walked behind him, dusting snow off his shoulders. Something on his mantle caught my eye.

"Uh oh..."

"What?" Ghirahim asked, craning his neck to see.

"You've got a bunch of little burrs on your...cape."

The demon lord cursed. "Now look what you've done! The entire manor is going to see that I've been off frolicking in the woods instead of reviving Demise!"

"Frolicking..." I giggled.

"What?"

"Nothing. Come on. Give me your cape."

"What? Why?"

I tugged at the cloth. "If anyone asks, you can say that you left the manor to come find me. Say I was lost. You can tell them that you had to go into the forest to track me down. That will explain the burrs. As for why I'm wearing the cape...you can say that I got cold, so being the gentleman you are, you let me wear it back to the manor. Not only will they not blame you for slacking off, but they'll also respect you for your '_kindness'._"

Ghirahim hesitated. "You would do that? I thought you hated the 'damsel in distress' image."

"Oh, I do. More than anything," I confirmed. "But I guess...you came outside to be nice to me, so I guess...I guess I can do something nice for you too."

Ghirahim gave me a long look. "Thank you, Sky Child."

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, whatever. Just give me the mantle already."

Ghirahim obliged, taking off the red sleeveless shawl and sliding over my head.

"Ugh. It smells like you." I complained. "And my god, this thing is _so dorky! _I can't believe I'm wearing this."

Ghirahim glared at me.

"Sorry."

Not wanting to wear the thing all the way back, I just draped it around my shoulders like a blanket, as that would still be convincing. Besides, then it was harder to see the burrs.

We made our way back to the manor By the time we reached the front doors, Ghirahim was shivering a little harder.

I glanced at him in concern. "Are you alright? Don't get hypothermia on me."

The demon lord smiled at me weakly. "I'm fine. I'm just...not built for this kind of weather."

How ironic. Ghirahim couldn't stand the cold, while I came from a place known for it's cold winters. How strange...we were such polar opposites. Maybe that's why Hylia chose me for him.

I opened the door and we walked in. People barely gave us a second glance as we made our way back to our rooms. We faced each other outside our doors. I handed Ghirahim the cape. He frowned.

"What?"

"Others may not have noticed the burrs, but the maids will see them when they clean my mantle."

I bit my lip. He was right.

I sighed. "Well, if it means that much to you, then I can just take them out myself."

Ghirahim blinked in surprise. "Really?"

I nodded. "It's not like I have anything better to do. Besides, I've done this plenty of times. It'll be no problem."

The noble smiled again. He seemed to smile a lot more lately. Not smirk. Just...smile.

He patted me on the head. "Thank you, Ocean."

I smiled back. "No problem. You go warm up."

He nodded, and then we both walked inside our rooms. I stretched out my frozen fingers and went into the washroom, where a small trash can was in the corner.

I found my phone, which I had left behind for the meeting. Placing it on the counter, I set my phone to play some music, as quietly as it possibly could. For me, no task was that tedious if I had some music in the background. The first song happened to be one of my favorites: Ed Sheeran's _Photograph._

I smiled as I listened to it, pulling burr after burr from Ghirahim's mantle.

I was just about done when the second verse of the song began:

"_Loving can heal._

_ Loving can mend your soul._

_ And it's the only thing that I know."_

Something about those words made me smile. Having finished with my task, I threw the last few burrs into the trash and covered them with a tissue.

It was then that I realized something:

He used my name.

Well, the fake one, but still. I had a feeling he still thought of me as Ocean, not Marissa. And it was true. The person I was around him was like a completely different person than the one who tripped into the portal all those months ago.

The fact that he used my actual name, and not one of his degrading nicknames felt kind of..._good. _I had no idea why. Maybe Ghirahim really _was _changing.

Or maybe I was just a clueless optimist.

Either way, I headed out of my room and knocked on his door.

He opened it right away.

"It's good as new!" I said, holding the mantle out to him.

Ghirahim took it with a grateful smile. "I cannot thank you enough, Sky Child."

"Yeah, you can."

"How?"

"Let me look after you."

"What?"

I walked into his room. "Look, Ghirahim, I get the feeling that you're finally beginning to trust me. And that's great, because now I can finally be a good guard."

"How so?"

"Well, I think that you get that my intentions are usually to help you. Since you finally understand that, then I think it's time you start listening to me."

Ghirahim frowned. "I still don't understand."

In answer, I came closer to him. Reaching out a hand, I touched a finger to some of the exposed skin on his chest. "Your skin is ice cold. As your healer and protector, I must insist that you rest. I know you're immediately going to say some BS about needing to work on finding the Spirit Maiden, but please, just don't. If you really want to thank me, then you're going to take my advice without arguing."

"Alright."

"Come on Ghirahim, I get that you want to be a good servant but—" I broke off. "Wait...did you just _agree _with me?"

He nodded. "I realize that I have been a bit hard to deal with. Maybe it's time I started listening to you."

I gave him an astonished smiled. "Wow...you actually agreed."

"Rest you say?"

I blinked. "Wait what? Oh...yeah." I gestured to his bed. "Just lie down and relax. It's late, and neither of us have slept in almost 48 hours."

The demon lord nodded, wearily slipping under the covers. At first I wasn't sure why he was being so cooperative, but then I realized it was really because he was too tired to argue.

I made sure to tuck the blankets around him real tight.

"You warm now?"

"I am."

"Good."

I turned to leave. I almost expected him to ask me to stay again, but he didn't. No, he was already sound asleep.

Smiling, I gave him one last warm look, and then I returned to my own room for the night.

* * *

**Yay! Snow!**

**Next chapter, another one that I have to edit, won't have as much fluff, but that's because things are about to get real. **

**So, as you probably noticed, but the song I included was _Photograph _by Ed Sheeran. I couldn't resist. Whenever I listen to that song, it always seems to remind me of this story. or maybe that's just because I'm always thinking of ways to make this story better. Anyway, hope you liked it.**

**Thanks for all the reviews/favs/follows. They are so very much appreciated. Please keep it up.**

**You know, this has been on my mind for a while. As a reader, authors always say stuff like that, saying how much each follow/fav means to them, but you might not think much of it. The thing is, how I look at it, each fav/follow is a real, living, breathing person who took the time out of their life to read my average little story. Each review is one of those real people taking time to give you feedback, and I can't describe how much that means to me and other authors everywhere.**

**Enough of my cheesy, mushy talk.**

**But like I said, it's been nice _snowing _you guys. What? Hey, you guys should realize that there was _snow _way I could go this long without making another pun.**

**...**

**I'm so sorry.**

**~CatWhiskers24~**


	55. Chapter 53: The Rising Blade

**What? Another Update?**

**Yep.**

**I was gonna wait a few days...but I was just too excited to put this chapter out. I stopped procrastination and finished editing it, so here you go.**

**_Warning: This chapter includes intense violence and severe injury. Viewer discretion is advised._**

**Disclaimer: I do not own LoZ or its characters, but the plot twists, cliffhangers, and alternate story-line is mine.**

* * *

**Marissa's POV**

Another week went by, and there was still no sign of the Rebels. I strode beside Ghirahim in the hallway. He had requested that I accompany him around the manor in case someone tried to attack either of us. I cast my eyes around, searching for possible threats. Deciding that there were none, I turned my attention back to my companion. Ghirahim's face was gaunt, his eyes haunted and bloodshot. The poor guy must have been too paranoid to sleep lately. I made a mental note to make sure he got some more rest that night.

He shivered slightly, despite the sunny, warm weather. The snow had melted several days ago, and so there was no evidence that our day in the snow had ever happened.

I wrapped an arm casually around his side. He jumped, but he said nothing. I stayed close to his side, in a way that I hoped was protective. I liked my job as his protector. Yes, it was dangerous; yes, it was stressful, but I loved it. The way my life seemed to have purpose when I was with him was indescribable. It was a perfect duty for someone who enjoys paying close attention to her surroundings. Not to mention the fact that it was a pretty selfless job, which I viewed as an honor. Besides, with Malice gone, I needed something to occupy my time.

We passed into the hall made entirely of stained glass. I loved the place. It was like a working piece of art. It was incredible. Everything was made out of stained glass; the walls, the floor, the ceiling. The only thing that wasn't glass was small metal separations in the glass below us and a thin handrail on either side of the room. When the sun hit the place just right, the entire room just glowed with every color imaginable. It was breathtaking.

I let go of Ghirahim and walked to the side of the room to look out the window. That was my favorite part of this place: somehow, the builders had managed to make the windows clear enough that you could see outside fairly well.

"Quite the view, don't you agree?" Ghirahim said from beside me.

"Mhmm," I said, nodding. From where we stood, you could see the vast gardens down below. And past that, you could see much of the estate. It seemed so vast and open when you looked at it from afar.

"Doesn't the height bother you?"

Ghirahim shrugged. "It probably would, but remarkably it doesn't," he said, staring down. "I think it's because I've walked past here often enough that I'm used to it." Then he gave me a meaningful look. "And..."

I frowned. "And what?"

The demon lord looked away. "I suppose...when I'm with you..." he trailed off.

"What?"

Ghirahim looked down. "I don't know. When I'm with you I just feel..._safe._"

"Well, that's kind of what a guard is for," I reasoned. "So I guess I'm not totally failing."

Ghirahim smiled. It was strange. Us, I mean. Our friendship was so strange. One moment we were ignoring each other, the next we were trying to kill each other, and then sometimes...sometimes we'd share a moment like this.

Ghirahim turned his head towards the window, but I continued looking at him. Sometimes it felt weird being in a world that mirrored the game that I used to play. It was weird thinking about how I was standing next to someone who, until just a few months ago, I only thought of as a video game character. But then I would stand here, and I would look at him. I would watch him thrum his fingers against the metal bar that was set a few feet from the glass. I'd watch him shift from foot to foot, watch him blink and breathe. And then I would get a better perception of the situation. He just seemed to be too alive to have been developed by a game designer.

Weirdest of all, I'd notice things. Like just now. Looking at him from the side, I could see his cheek and his face. Instead of noticing the strange hair that my brother and I used to mock, I would notice the little details of his face, like his sharp, defined jawline, or his big brown eyes, or how when he smiled, it seemed to reach his eyes as well.

I realized I had been staring too long, so I looked away. Luckily he didn't seem to have noticed.

We stood there for a while. Neither of us spoke. We just enjoyed the companionable silence.

What happened next seemed as though it was from a dream. Before I knew what was happening, the glass surrounding us shattered. Screams filled the air along with the ear-splitting screech of breaking glass. The noise was sudden and left a ringing in my ears. I instinctively dropped to the ground with my arms over my head and shoulders.

I heard a whizzing sound, and then I felt a stinging pain in my side. I risked looking around. Another object shot past my ear.

"Archers!" Ghirahim exclaimed. Sure enough, on the ground below us stood a cluster of hooded figures holding bows. It took me a second to get out of my stunned stupor, but I jolted into action, grabbing Ghirahim's arm.

"Come on, we've gotta get you out of here!" I exclaimed. I yanked his arm, and we ran towards the end of the glass hall.

I heard a heart-stopping crack, and the glass beneath my feet was destroyed by another arrow. I tumbled down the gap. Fortune was on my side, for I managed to grab the the closest metal divider of the floor. I dared a glance down and instantly regretted it. The ground looked miles away.

"Ghirahim!" I pleaded. He looked back at me as he ran. He hesitated, but then doubled back to help. He knelt by the gap and reached forward. I gripped his gloved hand, and he began pulling me up.

A lucky arrow planted itself in his forearm. He cried out in agony, but he held onto my arm. Blood trickled between our hands, making them dangerously slippery. He gasped as he pulled me up. We were almost there when another arrow struck him, but this time I couldn't see where. He lurched forward. Miraculously, he somehow managed to pull me up. I swung my leg over the edge and he released me. He swayed back, clutching a shaft protruding from his lower abdomen.

"Ghirahim..." I gasped. Another arrow whizzed past my shoulder. We had to get out of there.

A groan escaped the fallen noble's lips. I realized I would have to drag him out of the shattered hall. Luckily, only half of the floor was shattered, and the other side was still intact.

I gripped his wrist. It was slicked with blood. I felt sick from the metallic scent it left in the air. I yanked him along, but I made little progress. More arrows filled the air. One lodged itself in the back of his right shoulder. I realized I wouldn't make enough headway before he bled out. I had one last option. I used what little magic I had to put up a barrier around the tunnel. That was one thing I could thank Malice for—he taught me all he knew on creating force fields. I couldn't sustain it long, though, so I had to act fast.

Most of the other demons were cowering in the room just past the walkway.

"Help!" I begged them.

They exchanged unsure glances with each other, and then a full grown male stepped forward. Together, we were able to half-carry, half-drag Ghirahim across the ruined hall. I broke the enchantment with a sigh of relief. Had I needed it much longer, I may have passed out. I closed the door to the destroyed walkway.

A small cluster of demons and bokoblins gathered around their leader. I knelt beside him. He stared straight at me, his eyes glazed over. I had no idea what to do or say.

Looking around, I spotted a young demon.

"You," I said pointing at him. He stared at me, wide-eyed. "Do you know who Herb is?" I asked. He nodded quickly. "Please go get him." I commanded. The little creature sped down the nearest hallway.

I turned my attention back to Ghirahim. He was still looking at me, eyes wide and dilated with pain and fear. His chest rose and fell rapidly in shallow breaths.

There's something indescribable about being beside someone who's dying like this. It's like you want to do something for them, but you don't know what would help. I wanted to try to heal him, but I couldn't help worrying that I would just end up making it worse. I was still really weak.

He raised a shaking hand and pointed to the door leading to the destroyed sky way.

"Go," he gasped. "Archers...manor...still danger..."

I hesitated. He probably wanted me to confront the attackers, but I couldn't leave him. While the arrow acted as a plug for the blood, some still pooled out of the wound in his abdomen, leaking out around the shaft. I ripped off the sleeve of my shirt, and placed it in his hand. I moved the shaking appendage so it covered the wound with the cloth.

"Don't move." I said.

He coughed in response.

I ran to the door and flung it open, jumping through the gap as fast as I could. I pulled out my sailcloth and floated safely to the ground, using a basic shield to protect myself from arrows. When I landed, the group of archers scattered. I gave chase to one of them—a creature running with a limp. I ran as fast as I could until my lungs burned. Soon I became outpaced.

Desperately, I took my knife from my boot and threw it at the hooded figure. The lucky shot hit him right in the ankle. The creature screeched and tumbled to the ground. I had soon overtaken the distance between us.

I yanked the creature up by the neck of its cloak, rage causing my very blood to boil. Without letting go, I bent and tore the knife from its ankle. I ripped off its cloak. Staring back at me was a bokoblin with three diamond tattoos on its forehead. I held the knife to its neck.

"Who are you? Who do you work for? Why kill Ghirahim?" I demanded.

The creature shrieked in hysteric laughter.

"You think I would just tell you?" It scoffed, surprising me with it's fairly fluent speech.

"_Yes_."

"Why would I tell you anything, you pathetic half-breed?"

"Because I will kill you if you don't." I said. It was an empty threat; I knew that. But the monster didn't.

"And he will kill me if I do." The bokoblin countered.

"Who? Who do you work for? Demise? The Rebels?"

The bokoblin bared yellowed teeth in a maddening smirk. I pushed the knife in further, trying not to cringe as much as it did as a bead of vermilion blossomed from the skin.

"The Rising Blade. I work for the Rising Blade. He'll kill me if I say any more," the bokoblin confessed, suddenly desperate.

"I wouldn't let that happen. Come with me and tell me what you know. I will protect you."

I wasn't sure exactly how I would do that, but it didn't matter right now. The bokoblin's eyes momentarily glistened with hope.

I pulled back the blade a bit. "Just tell me who the Raising Knife is."

"It's The Rising Blade. He—" the bokoblin shrieked and fell forward onto me.

"What?" Something warm trickled down my face. I backed up, and the monster slumped lifeless on the ground, with two arrows sticking out of the back of his neck. I stared, stricken, at the body. Two arms wrapped around my shoulders, and I screamed.

"No, no, it's okay. It's just me." My heart leaped at Malice's voice. I turned around, and stared at my friend. He smiled back at me wearily and pulled me into another hug. "Thank the goddesses, you're okay."

"Malice? What the hell..." I pulled away. My eyes widened at the bow he held in his hands. "You...you killed it?"

"He was attacking you..." Malice reasoned, staring at me with a puzzled expression.

"No, _I_ had _him_. He was giving me intel'. Malice...where have you been? They...They got him. They got Ghirahim. He might die. He probably will. Oh, where have you _been_?" I wailed, my voice trembling.

"I...I had somewhere to be. Look, I really want to stay and help, but I have to go back. I heard about an attack, so I snuck away to make sure you were okay."

"How did you know about the attack?" I asked in confusion.

He turned away. "News travels fast where I serve now. When I heard I...I just couldn't stay away. Not when you could be in danger."

I stared at him. "And where exactly is that? Who do you work for?"

Malice shook his head. "It doesn't matter."

"You don't work for the Rising Blade, do you?" Malice stared at me in shock.

"No, no of course not." He said.

"What about the Rebels?"

"What? No. Of course not. I'd never work for those fools. Look...it's...it's complicated. Please, just trust me."

"Fine. Don't tell me."

I knew I wouldn't get anything more out of him, so I changed the subject.

"Come back to the manor with me. I'm sure Ghirahim won't mind if you spend the night." I offered. Malice sighed.

"Sorry; I can't. I should be on my way."

"But you have to help me figure out who the Rising Blade is," I protested.

"Please just stay out of this. You're in way over your head. Let Ghirahim solve his own problems. I don't want you to get hurt," he pleaded.

"I can't. Not now. It was my job to protect him. I still can't believe I let this happen!" I exclaimed in anguish.

Malice laid a hand on my shoulder. "It's not your fault. You had no idea about the attack." He turned away. "Come with _me_. My new master would take you in. We could start new. Everything would be so much better."

I didn't have to think about my answer. An image of Ghirahim dying from the arrow wounds flashed in my mind.

"I'm sorry, but I'm not leaving him. He needs me. Malice, he could _die_. I'm not abandoning him now."

Something sparked in Malice's eyes. I placed my hand on top of his. "Look, I know you don't like him, but give him a chance. Feelings change."

"You think I don't know that? You think _I_ don't need you?" he spat, suddenly furious. "Fine! I don't care! Do what you want. If you prefer him over me, that's not my problem."

He stormed off in the other direction.

"Malice, wait! It's not like that. Please don't go." He made no indication that he heard me. I miserably watched him go. Then, I headed back to the manor, head hung low.

* * *

I rushed back to the hall where I'd left Ghirahim. By now, a large group had gathered around the demon lord. I pushed my way through the crowd. Ghirahim still laid there, in the exact same position.

"Give him some room!" I shouted. The crowd shuffled back a few feet. I knelt beside him again. His eyes stared, glazed, at the sky. He took in ragged gasps for breath. I cradled his head in my arms, not caring that dozens of people were watching my every move.

"It's okay...you're okay." I soothed, morbidly stunned that he was still alive.

"Did you..." He winced. "Are they...?"

"Yeah. Yeah, they're gone." I promised. "Herb is coming, you're going to be okay."

He blinked at me once before his dark brown eyes fluttered closed.

"I can't..." He gasped in pain. I rubbed his arm, trying to comfort him.

"Hey, stay with me now," I pleaded. "Just look at me and breathe. Herb will be here soon." Ghirahim eyes darted to mine, and he stared up at me, his eyes becoming unfocused. I absentmindedly began humming quietly, hoping to comfort him.

After what seemed like an eternity, we heard pounding footsteps.

"Let me through! For mercy's sake, let me _through_!" A loud voice bellowed. Herb broke through the crowd. His eyes fell upon Ghirahim and grew huge. He turned to the crowd.

"_EVERYONE GET OUT OF HERE RIGHT NOW_!" He shouted. The onlookers reluctantly meandered out of the room and down the nearest hall. Now it was just the three of us and the small boy, who stood wide-eyed at the side of the room.

"When the kid told me he was hurt, I didn't realize it was this bad," Herb muttered crossly, kneeling beside his leader. He put two fingers to the noble's throat. "Erratic pulse and breathing...he must be going into shock. Fantastic."

"Can you help him?"

"Of _course_ I can. But I don't know if he'll last long enough." Herb responded grimly. But he began working anyway.

"I won't be able to treat his abdomen wound right now. We'll have to get him back to my office. But I think I can do something about his shoulder and forearm."

He positioned himself by the shoulder arrow.

"I'm going to need you to hold him still while I take out the arrow," the healer directed. I was impressed by how calm and steady his voice was. I couldn't stop shaking.

"Okay," I managed, voice tight. I tightly clutched Ghirahim, hesitating before taking his hand. His glove had been torn off in the hallway, and his skin was cool and clammy against my palm, not to mention the sticky layer of sweat and blood. Yet I held onto him tightly, trying to keep eye contact. He seemed dazed and unresponsive. By now his eyes weren't focused on anything, and that scared me.

Herb clasped the shaft. Instead of yanking it out, he pushed it through his patient's shoulder. There was a sickening crack as it appeared through the other side. I cringed, bile rising up in my throat. Ghirahim cried out in agony. I wanted to look away, but I couldn't tear my eyes off the sight.

"Hold this here," Herb commanded, his voice steady. He handed me a piece of bandage and moved my hand so it was near the wound. He snapped off the arrow head, which was loosened by the blood, and pulled the shaft out of his leader's shoulder. My own arm burned in white-hot pain at the sight. Blood pooled out of the puncture. I quickly covered the injury with the bandage, applying as much pressure to it as I dared. Herb examined the arrow stuck in Ghirahim's arm.

"I can't treat this one either," he reported.

"What? Why not?"

Herb tried to move the arrow slightly. It didn't budge.

"It's lodged in bone," he explained. "We'll have to carry him back to the infirmary."

"Can't you just teleport us there?" I asked. Herb sighed.

"No, I don't have any magic abilities."

"But I thought all demons..." .

Herb looked away. "They usually do. Once in a while though, there is a poor exception born without any abilities. I am one of them."

The healer dismissed any further conversation as he bent down. "Are you going to help me or what?"

I nodded. I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around to the see the kid.

"Can I help?" he asked shyly. I nodded. Between the three of us—me with his head and shoulders, Herb with his trunk, and the kid with his feet—we managed to lift Ghirahim. We had little time. I knew for humans at least, sometimes injuries like this could kill you in like, less than a minute. It was only a matter of time before he bled out. The wound on his shoulder had bled through the bandage, so I covered it with my hand as I carried him. His face was chalk-white, which was pale even for him.

"Hang on, Ghira," I begged softly.

We finally managed to reach the door to the infirmary. A couple of nearby bokoblins were kind enough to hold the door for us. We laid him on the nearest bed. Herb turned to me.

"You two wait out there. I'll do what I can."

"What? Why me?" I protested. "I can help."

Herb raised an eyebrow. "Really? What do you know about treating arrow wounds?"

"Well, um, not much. You're not supposed to just pull them out though, are you? And..."

Herb nudged me towards the door. "Unless you are a trained professional in removing arrows from deadly wounds, you will just get out underfoot. Now out, _out!" _

I could have been offended, but I wasn't. I knew he was just worried.

I walked outside with the boy following, closing the door behind me. The kid paced nervously.

"D-Do you think he'll be okay? I wasn't too slow, was I?"

I smiled reassuringly "No, you were great. Ghirahim would be dead without you. As for if he will live... I'm sure he'll be fine. Herb's great."

I realized that I was saying it to comfort myself as much as him. "What's your name, anyway?"

"It's Coal," he answered, and then added "My father is a blacksmith. He made one of Lord Ghirahim's swords."

"Cool. I'm Mar-Ocean," I said, barely stopping myself from breaking my already ruined cover.

"Marocean? Is that foreign?" The kid inquired, cocking his head.

"Well...um...I don't know. It's actually just Ocean." I said sheepishly.

Yup. That's me. Sounding stupid and awkward when talking with kids. Typical Marocean.

"I've seen you walking with him before. If I may be bold enough to ask, are you two like..?" My eyes grew huge.

"No!" I said, my voice a little too loud. "No, we're just...kinda sorta companions."

"Really? 'Cause my mother says she's never seen him spend so much time with one person. Especially a girl. She says he's been alone for as long as she can remember. A couple times they've brought in a few female suitors, but he's never been interested in choosing one of them. But she says it's only a matter of time before he changes his mind. She expects to hear about a Lady Ghirahim soon. The entire manor is waiting for that day. Also, everyone knows that sooner or later he's going to want an heir and-"

"O-_kay_! You can stop now." I broke in, hoping that there weren't many in the kingdom with the same expectations. "I mean, we're just friends. Acquaintances. I'm his protector. And I'm doing one heck of a job as you can see," I muttered. Coal shrugged.

"Don't beat yourself up too much. I mean, he would be dead already if you hadn't acted so fast..." he assured me. "My mother told me to thank you, actually. You see, she says she's been concerned for him ever since the hemlock accident. She was worried his sanity may take a toll. But a few days ago she saw you two walking together and was surprised by how at ease he seemed. Also, she's a seamstress, and he gave her and her colleagues a day off two days ago."

I frowned. "What's the big deal about a day off?"

The kid looked me straight in the eye. "It was her first in five years. The kingdom loves you." I nearly lost my balance at this. I didn't realize anyone here even knew about me.

"Oh." I said stupidly. Then something occurred to me. "Hey, where _are_ your parents?"

Coal's mischievous smile faded.

"I-I don't know. I haven't seen them since I left to get Herb."

"Don't worry. Once Ghirahim is in stable condition, I'll help you find them." I promised. Coal smiled again.

"Thank you. I can see why Ghirahim loves you," he said with a mischievous smile, apparently comfortable around me at this point.

"What? He doesn't _love me, _you crazy, _weird_ little kid." Coal looked hurt. I rested a hand on his shoulder. "I'm just teasing; don't let me get to you. It's just how I am. But I'm serious about him. He barely even knows my name. He just calls me 'Sky Child', or more often, 'idiot servant girl'."

"Mhmm _hmm_," Coal teased.

Man, this kid knew how to mess with me. I liked him.

Remembering why I was there in the first place, I began to pace.

"What's taking so long?" Coal wondered, echoing my thoughts.

"What if he's dying?" I worried, almost in tears. "He saved my life."

"Don't worry," Coal said. "I'm sure everything is all right."

Just then, the door opened, and an exhausted Herb stuck his head out.

"Is he okay?" I asked immediately.

Herb's face had a dark look to it, and he beckoned me over. I stepped towards him.

"Is he okay?" I demanded desperately. Herb didn't meet my gaze.

"I did what I could but...he's not going to make it."

"Wait, what?" I gasped. "I thought you could save him!"

"No. I said I could _help_ him. And I did. At least somewhat. But he's lost too much blood. The arrow did too much damage. I can't fix it." His voice wavered.

"But... Can't you just...?"

"Ocean, it punctured his kidney and stomach. And if that's not bad enough, it severed his spinal cord, too. Even if he were to survive, he'd never walk again."

I said nothing. I couldn't accept the fact that I could lose my friend.

Herb put his hands on his hips and stared at the ground. "Besides...the arrow severed his aorta. I'm surprised he's still alive."

"What's that?"

"The main artery of the body. The only reason he isn't dead yet is the arrow is acting as a plug. Humans can bleed out in less than a minute when it's damaged. It's slightly longer for demons, but not by much. I just don't have enough time or knowledge to repair it." Herb admitted in defeat.

I bowed my head. Herb put a hand on my shoulder.

"Come and see him. The best thing you can do now is to be with him...and...say goodbye." The healer moved aside. I nodded numbly and walked inside, my feet feeling like lead. I stumbled to Ghirahim's bedside. Nothing could have prepared me for what I saw. His arm and shoulder were bandaged, so that was good. But his clothes were stained a bright red. As were the sheets. Gauze was wrapped around the arrow in his abdomen, but it was a dark crimson. I stood by his bedside. I didn't know what to say or do.

I heard a choked sobbing noise, and after a moment, I realized _I_ was the one who had made it. I knelt at his bedside. His breathing was shallow and labored. I touched his cold cheek.

"I'm sorry," I heard myself say. "I was supposed to protect you, but I failed you. I'm sorry. I'm so _so_ _sorry_."

I took his still gloved hand and gave it a squeeze. He took in a shallow, labored breath that rattled in his throat.

Overwhelmed, I stood up and began pacing. I tore at my hair, blinking rapidly—the first sign that I was about to cry. I clutched my face, trying to suppress the hot tears threatening to spill over. I swallowed back a wail like that of a lost child. This was as close to a mental breakdown or panic attack as I'd ever had. Everything was spiraling out of control.

I hugged my arms to my sides. Immediately I flinched at a sudden burst of pain. I looked at my right side to see a rugged gash in my clothing and flesh. I winced. Injuries don't seem to hurt as much until you see them.

"Wait, are you hurt?" Herb asked.

I put my hand on the wound.

"It's nothing," I lied. I would probably just let it heal on its own. I wouldn't make Herb worry about it. Besides, I would hate needing that kind of vulnerable attention.

In fact, now was a perfect time to practice my healing powers. I imagined the flesh closing, and after a moment's concentration, my hand began to glow with a blue light. My wound tingled slightly. When I pulled back my hand, there was a faint scar, but it was barely noticeable.

"Here are some bandages for your..." Herb stared at my side. "It's gone?"

I nodded. "I was just practicing my healing powers." I admitted.

Herb blinked in shock. "Why didn't I think of that before?" he exclaimed. "Quickly now, heal him. We've already lost too much time."

I looked down at my feet. "I can't do it. I can barely heal a scratch. How am I gonna repair his innards? I'm not strong enough. I'll probably just make it worse."

"Well it can't hurt to try. Come." He moved towards Ghirahim and put his hands on the shaft.

"Wait! What are you _doing_?" I cried.

"I'm going to pull out this arrow, and then you are going to heal him."

"What if I can't?" I protested. "Remember what happened when I tried with Malice? If I don't do it right, then it'll make him die faster! What if I mess up?"

"Then he'll die in a matter of seconds. It's not much different than what will happen if you don't try," he answered bluntly.

"I don't trust myself, okay?" I confessed. "I don't trust myself to have someone's life in my hands. I just can't stand the thought of...I mean...what if _I'm _the reason he dies? It's too much pressure!" Distraught, I took Ghirahim's hand once again. It was growing more and more limp with each breath.

Herb sighed. "Look, you may not trust yourself, but I do. I'll be your confidence. Just try. Please. You owe it to him."

I said nothing. I just stared at Ghirahim's hand as his life faded from my grasp.

"Ready?" Herb asked.

"As I'll ever be." I muttered.

"3...2...1...NOW!" He ripped out the arrow. I covered the wound with my hands.

_ Heal_...

Nothing happened.

_ Heal_! I thought again. Still, nothing changed.

"It's not working!" I exclaimed, lifting my hands in horror. Herb put a hand on my arm.

"My father tried to teach me the art of magic. He said you're not supposed to just think a vague concept like 'heal'. You have to imagine the exact details. Think about what you specifically want the magic to do." Herb instructed.

"Okay..." I placed my hands back on the wound. I closed my eyes and imagined his kidney repairing itself. I willed the tissue of his intestines to meld back together.

Energy faded from my body, and I began to tremble. I continued anyway, ignoring the dizzy spell.

I pictured his torn stomach, and the material mended at my will. I commanded his aorta to repair itself, and the artery began to close in my mind.

I could barely stand at this point.

The aorta finally fully sealed itself. Then I pictured his spinal cord.

As soon as I imagined it becoming whole again, pain exploded in my mind. I was overexerting myself. I really didn't care.

The nerve fibers finally healed, the material slowly gluing itself back together in my mind. My thoughts themselves grew a blurry black at the edges.

I fought back the urge to rest. I knew I should stop; I was risking a blackout—or worse. I ignored the thought.

The stomach acid and blood from internal bleeding vanished at my command. Finally, I pictured his skin mending. I swayed with exhaustion.

I couldn't do it. I was too weak. Too pathetic.

But with another try, I managed to imagine it scabbing over. I opened my eyes and gasped. The blue light was fading from of my hands. Trembling, I uncovered the wound. I teared up a little bit when I saw a scab slightly larger than the size of a 50 cent coin.

"You did it." Herb breathed.

"I did it." I echoed in awe.

Ghirahim took in a deeper, rattling breath.

"I did it..." I said once more. And with a relieved, delighted laugh, I promptly fainted.

* * *

**Will our main characters be okay? Find out next time on A Different Path.**

**So yeah, maybe that wasn't that bad after all, I just thought I should warn you guys that there was some bloodshed.**

**Anyway, thanks once again to all my lovely followers/reviewers. It pleases me so much that reading my story can brighten your days or make you entertained.**

**I almost forgot: EnoshlmaJunko, in regards to your question, no characters from other games aren't going to have a big impact on MOST of the book. But they'll come into play a bit in the last book, though not enough that it will be hard to follow for someone who hasn't played the other games.**

**One last thing-I was playing _Twilight Princess _the other day, and I got the idea for another story. I might start it after this book ends, as giving my brain a break would be nice for letting new ideas come to me for next book. But my point is, I might start working on this soon, and I don't know how this will affect this story, but I really want to give it a go. It's similar to how this one just came to me and then just kept developing in my mind. I couldn't let it go. Now I think I want to try writing this one, too.**

**Here's my idea: You know that cat you help at the beginning of the game by catching it a fish? What if Link the Cat was really a female cat, named after a long lost daughter of her owner? Like what if Beth lost an older sister? Anyway, I was thinking, what if this cat ended up going on the journey with Link? Of course, there will be plenty of stuff revealed about her in story, but this is just the basics. Anyway, at some point, they'll probably come across a shadow beast, and something will happen, ad maybe the cat will befriend it. No, this will not be a Link/OC with the cat, but they will end up having a cute relationship, I hope.**

**I was thinking about calling it like The Feline, the Canine, and the Shadow Beast. I know that's a crappy summary and title, but you get the idea. My point is, if I were to write this other fic, do you guys think you would read it? I might not have it up for a while, it all depends on if I think it might be a bit successful. **

**Anyway, that's all for now.**

**~Catwhiskers24~**


	56. Chapter 54: What Doesn't Kill You

**Well dang. **

**You guys were so enthusiastic towards another story that I was motivated to write it. The Feline, the Canine, and the Shadow Beast is up, as many of you guys have seen. I want to thank everybody who went ahead and followed it already. I just hope I don't let you down. The new story is slowly coming together, and while that happens, I'm going to continue to focus on finishing this book.**

**Guest: To answer your question, he'll show up before the end of the book, don't worry.**

**Other Guest: My goal is to finish it by the end of the month. There are only two more main events, and then smaller filler chapters, so I'd estimate maybe four or five chapters.**

**RavenThePirate: Her brother won't be completely involved until the third book. Yes, there will be scenes back on Earth. Groose should come in at the normal time. Though, depending on any unexpected kinks, this could end up changing a bit.**

**So...that's all the questions I could find and answer. If I didn't answer yours, I'm really sorry. But to be fair, you guys gave me a TON of new reviews last chapter. Seriously, I think I may have teared up a little. So many of you have so many kind words, it's just the greatest feeling ever.**

**Lastly, an overdue thanks and shoutout to Parmamela572 for all your help in getting this story going. And another thanks to Picta Vulpes for helping out with this one. **

**That's it I think. Busy day; busy mind.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own LoZ or its characters, just my OC's, plot twists, cliffhangers, and alternate plot line.**

* * *

**Marissa POV**

I'd never fainted before. Sure, I'd been knocked unconscious, and I'd passed out due to overexertion, what with my magic and all, but I'd never..._swooned._

Never.

I'll admit, I'd come close before. That time when I broke my finger, I had been pretty darn close. I remembered clutching my finger after the weight came down. I remembered white-hot pain on the tip of my middle finger, remembered telling myself I'd be fine. It'd hurt for a while, but it was nothing to freak out over.

Then I saw the blood.

In my eight year old mind, that triggered an alarm. I didn't understand. That weight wasn't sharp. There shouldn't be blood...unless something was really wrong with me.

I remember the tears spilling out as I paced, blood spattering the floor of my basement and making my hands warm and sticky.

I must've screamed, because my mother soon came, turning pale when she saw my finger. Then we were rushing upstairs. I remember risking a glance at the finger. It was swollen and red, and I couldn't tell where the blood was coming from. Then I'd shifted the hand supporting it, and I'd seen bone. The fingernail had cut into the last section, and only the back half of flesh seemed to be intact, as the gash gaped like a mouth, the tip of my finger hanging like the loose hinge of a door.

I remembered a light-headed sensation filling my mind and causing me to sway, remembered staggering with pain and dizziness, my eyes trying to roll back in my head. Now I knew that I may have been inches from fainting.

The pain probably helped keep me awake. Or my brother's nervous pacing. Or my bellowing of, "IT HURTS!" and "WHY?! WHY?!".

But the number one reason why I had stayed conscious was simple: I had to. I couldn't afford to faint. I _had_ to get up the stairs, and I _had_ to get into the car so I could ride to the ER. Somehow, in my fourth grade mind I just _knew_ I had to stay awake.

Then, when the doctors started talking about wanting to stick a needle into my finger to keep it straight, I remember the sensation coming back, and the tears streaming down my face as panic made my mind fuzzy. I wanted it to be over, for my vision to fade to black. But I couldn't afford that. They wanted to stick a needle down my finger? I didn't want them to. No, I wouldn't let them. And I knew I had to tell them that. Somehow, through my nausea and terror, I told those doctors. I told them I would keep the cast on, and I'd keep it on tight. I told them that I couldn't have a needle in my finger.

And they'd listened.

Hours later, after stitches and a ton of anesthesia medicine, I found myself riding home in a cast, _without_ a needle in my finger. My only worry at that point was how I could bear going to school. I couldn't write, and my classmates would surely be curious about what happened. I knew I would absolutely _hate_ the attention. And I did. I hated their sudden, feigned sympathy after they'd ignored me all year.

Regardless, that night, I finally was able to nod off, and for only one reason: I could afford to. It was over. I could sleep in peace.

Now, looking back on it, the reason I, someone who's not used to the sight of so much blood, didn't faint from panic or nausea when I saw Ghirahim's wounds was the same as when I saw my own: I couldn't afford to. I had to stay alert. Back then for my sake; a few hours earlier for his. Even as the shock and fear and horror had done its best to shut me down, I became more awake. And I had to. For if I had fainted after he was shot, or as he lay, dying, in the hospital bed, he would have died for sure.

But I'd _had_ to get him away from the archers and to the hospital wing, just like I'd _had_ to climb those steps and get in the car. I'd _had_ to heal him, just like I'd _had_ to tell the doctors not to stick a needle in my finger.

And then, after I'd done my duty, I had been free to lose consciousness. I'd been free to collapse.

It didn't take me long to regain consciousness, either. Herb was sound asleep a few mattresses down. He must have moved me after I fainted. Ghirahim was on the cot to my left. I jumped up and ran to his side.

I approached Ghirahim. Bandages were wrapped around his right shoulder, forearm, and belly. Covers were pulled up to his waist. He still shivered slightly as his shock faded. I knelt beside his bed and pulled the blanket up to his shoulders. I rubbed his shoulder beneath the blanket, relieved by the sound of his steady breathing.

His arm dangled off the bed. My free fingers found his hand, and took it gently. I looked at his scars for a while, feeling a rush of shame. So much for my promise to keep him free of pain. My head seemed to sink onto his blankets. Soon, still holding his hand and massaging his good shoulder with my other, I fell back asleep.

**Ghirahim's POV**

* * *

"He doesn't look too good, does he?"

"Shut up, Plat. He was just shot by arrows for heaven's sake!"

"But just look at him. The weird look on his face. Ha!"

"Oh, like _you_ looked much better_. _Remember your little trip to the hospital wing?"

"Yes. I do remember being bedridden from drinking the poison meant for _him._"

"As if you knew you were saving him."

"Who says I didn't"

"Uh...the weird-ass look on your face when you drank it..."

"That was my 'enduring-the-pain-look'."

"My hero."

"Shush. I think he's coming to."

I blinked open my eyes. On one side of my bed stood Herb, Leal, and the maid I assigned to the Sky Child's room. On the other side stood Platnox and the girl herself. The latter was leaned over me, a glass of water clutched tightly in her hands.

"Hey, Ghir. How you feeling?"

I shrugged.

"Thirsty?"

Without waiting for an answer, she put an arm under my neck, bringing the glass to my lips. I was too weak to struggle as she helped me sit up, slowly pouring the water down my throat.

"Better?"

I nodded. "Fantastic."

I looked around, clearing my throat. "What are you all doing here?"

"Whoa, Ghir. These are your closest friends you're talking to," the girl chuckled. "Try to sound more friendly than that. Jeez. We're just here to visit you."

I leaned back, wincing at a stinging pain throughout my body. "What happened again?"

"Well..." Platnox began. "You decided to take a little stroll down your hallway o' glass, and then you got shot up by—"

She slapped a hand over Platnox's mouth.

"What he _means _to say is..." she sighed. "we were in the glass hallway and...well...there was a sneak attack. The rebels—at least, I _think _it was them—attacked us with a bunch of archers. You...You were hit when you were trying to help me. We managed to get you back to the hospital wing, and then Herb here saved you."

"Now that's not completely true." Herb cut in. "You saved him."

The girl's face turned red. "I guess I helped a little..."

Herb laughed. "A little? You saved his life!"

"I mean...I guess I..."

Herb turned to me. "You were shot in the gut with an arrow. It was a mortal wound. There was nothing I could do about it. But Ocean here...she healed it with her powers. You would be dead without her. In fact, she knocked herself out healing you. She almost killed herself to save you!"

I blinked in surprise. "Sky Child? Is what he says true?"

She shrugged in embarrassment. "I mean...he's making it sound a lot more dramatic than it was."

"You saved my life."

"It wasn't like that..."

I rolled my eyes. "You're too humble."

"No I'm not!" She exclaimed in embarrassment. "You guys are just making a big deal of nothing."

"Ghirahim's life doesn't sound like nothing to me," Leal remarked.

She lowered her eyes. The room grew silent.

"Perhaps..." Herb cleared his throat. "Perhaps we should give these two a chance to talk. Alone."

The others nodded and began filing out of the room. As Platnox passed, he gave us a strange look and then winked. "Yes...you two could use some _alone _time."

The girl quickly flipped him the bird.

We waited until everyone was outside and the door had clicked shut. Then we remained silent, just looking at each other in awkward silence.

"You really saved my life," I said suddenly.

She shrugged. "I guess I did."

I smiled. "You really are just...full of surprises aren't you?"

She blushed again. "So...how do you feel? You in much pain?"

"I'm fine." I answered.

She narrowed her eyes. "You sure? I only healed the one. I should take a look at the other two."

I lifted a hand. "There will be time for that. But right now, I would just like to talk."

She hesitated. "Alright."

"What did you notice about the attackers? Did you see any of them closely?"

She nodded. "Yes, actually. I managed to interrogate one of them briefly."

"What did you find out?"

She bit her lip. "It said something about a...'Rising Blade'or something. Do you have any idea what it may have been talking about?"

I shook my head. "I've never heard anything regarding this...'_Rising Blade'_."

The girl was quiet for a moment. "They had this all planned out. Every detail. They somehow knew where you would be and when. It kinda scares me how prepared they were for this. And their plan was a little bit genius...in a morbid sort of way. I mean, what better place for an ambush than that hall? It was perfect for them to attack."

I winced, letting my head drop back against the pillow. "In all honesty, I don't see the practicality of having a hallway made entirely of stained glass."

She smiled and laughed, bobbing her head. "Yeah, what were you thinking?"

I shrugged. "I suppose...I suppose I've made some mistakes before..."

The Sky Child smiled. "I may have too. I mean, after what happened a while ago...Well. Let's just say if you gave me HIV or some shit like that I am going to _murder_ you."

I frowned. "Wait a moment...how would I have given that to you unless...?" I glanced up at her.

She frowned. "Well, you did get blood all over me. Though I guess that's to be expected when you try to help someone with a wound like yours."

"That makes so much more sense," I breathed.

The girl blinked in confusion.

"What? What else would we have..."

Then realization dawned across her face.

"Oh." Red consumed her cheeks. "Why would you even _think _that? I mean it's not like..."

"Exactly! You don't think of me like..."

"And you don't..."

I nodded. "Yes...and we'd never..."

"Why would we...?"

"Yeah."

The silence returned.

"You came back to help me."

I looked up. "What?"

The girl glanced at the ground. "Back there...when I was hanging off the edge..."

"Yes?"

She bit her lip. "I thought...for a moment there..." She took a deep breath. "I almost thought you were gonna leave me."

I blinked. "Why would you think a thing like that?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. I was probably just being stupid. Not abnormal for me. So...what now?"

I laid back against the covers. "I don't know about you, but I'm going to rest. Perhaps I can finally get a moment's peace around here."

She laughed. "That's probably a good idea. You look tired."

She looked down at her feet. "So...er...I'll just be going, then."

I nodded. "And...I'll just be here."

I watched as the girl turned around, heading towards the door.

"I mean...there's no reason for you to stay, is there?" I asked.

She shook her head. "I can't think of any."

"Unless..."

"Unless what?"

"Unless...you wanted to stay here and keep an eye on me. After all there could still be a Rebel wandering about. Do you mind?"

Her eyes widened. "S-Sure! Yeah, I'll make sure no one gets to you."

She walked back to my side. "So...uh...good...afternoon?"

She got into one of the neighboring beds. "Get some rest. I've got the first watch."

I turned over so I was facing her. The last thing I saw before my vision faded was a pair of bright blue eyes.

* * *

**Marissa's POV**

The next few days seemed to drag by. Between my healing powers and Herb's watchful care, Ghirahim was able to recover at a much faster speed than normal. But it was still hard work. The day after the meeting in the infirmary, we uncovered Ghirahim's other wounds. His arm one was fine, but his shoulder developed an infection, and he was running a bit of a fever. It didn't matter, though, because we got through it. We always would.

The day that Herb released Ghirahim from the infirmary was a relief. He was a bit shaky on his feet, so I let him subtly lean against my shoulder.

Together, we made it out to the grounds just outside the entrance. We couldn't go far, but Herb and I had agreed he needed some fresh air.

We wandered around the outside of the manor. Ghirahim and I didn't talk much. What was there to say?

Eventually we crossed a dark corner of the manor. As we passed, I was startled by the sound of wings.

"What the...?"

I looked around, confused. Then I saw the source of the noise: a little red bird. I watched in fascination as the young bird jumped up and down on a window sill, flapping it's wings in a frenzy. Each time it lifted into the air, it would flare out its feathers and fly against the window. Judging by its short stubble of a tail, it was barely more than a hatchling.

"What is it doing?" Ghirahim exclaimed, staring at it with a disapproving look. "How stupid is this bird?"

I whacked his arm with the back of his hand. "Come on, Ghir. Cut it some slack. It's only a baby, after all."

The demon snorted. "Baby or not, flying into a window is not a good idea. If the young of this species are compelled to break their necks against a window, I fail to see how they've survived this long."

I rolled my eyes. "Think about it—this poor guy was probably separated from his family and flock. It probably sees its reflection in the glass and thinks its another bird."

"Again; their survival looks bleak."

"Oh, Ghirahim," I sighed, "what am I ever going to do with you?"

I slowly approached the young creature, careful not to startle it. It let out a sharp series of panicked chirps.

I slowed down. "It's alright, little buddy. I'm not gonna hurt you."

My voice seemed to just scare it more, and the tiny avian flew down head-first into the glass pane, bouncing off and landing in the grass.

Ghirahim snorted in amusement.

I bent down, peering into the bush under the window. The instant my face approached the bush, the bird exploded out in a flurry of crimson feathers, flying straight back to the window.

I reached out my hands, gently scooping it into my palms. I curved my hands up, gently brushing its quivering wings with my thumb.

"There you are. You're okay."

I walked away from the window, returning to Ghirahim's side.

"Hold out your hands."

"Why?"

I took a deep breath. "Make like Nike and _just do it_!"

Ghirahim stared at me in confusion, extending out his palms nonetheless.

I set the trembling bird into his hands.

"What are you...Why are you giving this to me?"

I ignored him, focusing on the hand-off. "Hold your arms steady...Yeah, like that. Now, cup your hands around him so he feels secure. There. Like that."

I backed away, watching as Ghirahim held the tiny creature in his palms. He carefully traced a finger down it's side and belly. As he did this, the hatchling seemed to calm down.

"There. See? He likes you!"

Ghirahim peered down at the bird in unmasked fascination.

"This is a peculiar experience—I've never held a bird before," he remarked.

"Why do you think I let you have all the fun? Now, we should probably stop terrifying it."

Ghirahim nodded. Slowly, he parted his hands, and the bird shot out of his palms, gliding effortlessly into the sky.

"There. Doesn't that feel good?"

He shrugged. "I suppose... The creature's downy plumage _was_ quite soft."

"No, that's not what I meant. Didn't it feel nice, helping it like that?"

Ghirahim shrugged. "I don't see why it would."

"You just helped save that little bird. Doesn't it feel good in there?" I persisted, poking him in the chest.

He looked down at my finger. "It was an odd sensation, though it wasn't completely unpleasant."

"Well you're going to have to get used to it," I said firmly.

"And why is that?"

I started back towards the manor's entrance. "If you want all this madness to stop, you are going to have to be a balanced leader. You rule with an iron fist like Demise and people will be afraid of you. You rule with too much leniency and your people will take advantage of you. And if you spend all your time on your own endeavors, then your people won't respect you. The trick is to find a combination of the three."

Ghirahim thought for a moment. "And how am I supposed to do that?"

I bit my lip. "Well...think about it like the Triforce. You need to exercise enough power that you show firm control. You make it clear that you're not fazed in the slightest by the Rebels. If you believe that your rule is steadfast enough that nothing can threaten you, then they will too. Second, you have to let the people live their own lives, but you have to be courageous enough to put your foot down. People should like you, but they should be at least a little intimidated by you. But that doesn't mean treating them like lesser creatures. No, treat them with respect. But make sure they know that you are in charge. And last, be wise enough to know how to balance your responsibilities as a servant with those of the kingdom. If I've learned anything from all the books I've read, it's that being a ruler is not easy. You have to be constantly vigilant and you have to know how to make the right decisions. Once you can balance all three of those, you'll find leading much easier."

"You got all that from books?" Ghirahim asked.

I shrugged. "Pretty much. Plus my analogies are _fire._"

Ghirahim frowned. "Whatever that means."

I nodded towards the path ahead of us. "C'mon. I have an idea on what we can do next."

* * *

**Well, that's it for now. I'll continue simultaneously working on both. It's been really fun to write. Shout out to all my loyal readers.**

**WE ARE ALMOST AT 400!**

**I can't believe the success this story is having. I genuinely thank all of you. I think writing this story may have been one of the best decisions I've ever made.**

**Stay strong, everyone.**

**~Catwhiskers24~**


	57. Chapter 55: Spoilers

**Hey everybody! Hope you had a great week! **

**So, after a strange few days, I finally managed to sit down and write. I took stock on where we are, and it seems we only have give or take three left. I'm gonna be both relieved and sad to see the end of this book. But then, we still have two left. I have my work cut out for me, but I can't think of a better hobby than writing. I mean...like...besides charity work.**

**zingerflash: Besides the occasional reference from Marissa, there won't be many more until the end of book three. But the Midna thing will come back.**

**Happy to see you guys are so enthusiastic to see the series continue, because so am I!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own LOZ or its characters, just my OC's, plot twists, cliff hangers, and alternate story-line.**

* * *

**Marissa's POV**

After another failed attempt at getting Ghirahim to come to the library to read with me, I found myself curled up on the couch with a good book while he sat in his quarters, reading through old texts.

Hours seemed to go by. I finished the book I was on, carefully closing the cover. I found it funny how even when I was living an adventure of my own, I still was easily distracted by a well told story. There were some talented authors in this realm.

I returned the book to its shelf, searching the shelves for another one. Reading in this world was funny that way. There were never any sequels. When the book ended, it just ended. It made me appreciate a well told story—one that seemed complete but still left you wanting more.

If only life ended like that. Like you could just choose a spot in your life when everything was how you liked it, and then end the book. Nothing could change your ending. Your story just stayed satisfied and complete. No more problems, no more complications. Just...the end.

Sadly, life was _not _like that. Life was full of twists and turns and bumps and bruises. And it was no different in this world. No story ever seemed to end. No, if anything, the only thing that could end was...the character.

I moved along the shelves, hoping an interesting title would grab my attention. I did not, however, expect a good book to grab my _foot._

"_Whoa," _I yelped, tripping over a large book that was caught under the shelf.

"What the..." I frowned, staring at the front cover. The words were barely visible, but I could still somewhat make out the title: _The Spirit Maiden's Quest._

Still frowning, I opened the book to the first page, blowing off the dust and flopping back onto the couch. My eyes widened at what was on the first page.

Above a small chunk of ancient text, there was a broad illustration of a blonde woman dressed in white. I turned the page. The next picture was of a map—a map of the surface. I looked at the faded map closely, noticing something strange.

In all three realms, there was a small, neatly drawn symbol somewhere in its area. Even more peculiar, in the middle, starting at the large floating island that I assumed to be Skyloft, was a golden line. It started on the island, and then it led down to the symbol in Faron, and then the one in Eldin, and then in Lanayru.

I sat there for a few moments, confused on what it was supposed to mean.

Then it hit me: each of those spots marked was a temple. And through each of those temples was a spring—a spring where Zelda came to pray.

The line first led to Faron Woods, to Skyview Temple, which led to the first altar she visited.

Then it led to the Earth Temple, behind which was where Zelda was nearly caught. And then it led to another place, and I knew what it was: Lanayru Mines. The third and final spring in which Zelda would visit.

I stared at that map for a long time, a riot of thoughts rampaging in my mind. This was the type of thing that Ghirahim had been searching for all this time. It told him exactly where she was going next.

I was willing to bet money that Zelda hadn't reached her third destination yet. That meant, should I give this to Ghirahim, he would finally have the lead he so sorely needed.

But I could never do that.

Could I?

After all, Zelda had only ever been kind to me. She and Link were like family. Betraying her would be like stabbing your sister in the back.

And yet...what if I _did _surrender this map to Ghirahim?

If Ghirahim didn't make progress soon, Demise would be furious. What if the next time Ghirahim came to the pit, his master _killed _him? I would never be able to live with myself.

Even so...what if Ghirahim never even went back to Demise? Then it wouldn't matter how furious the Demon King was; he'd still be imprisoned.

I thought back to my first conversation with Hylia. Sure, I had been somewhat successful in keeping Ghirahim alive, but Hylia had given me another mission. One that I still had yet to accomplish.

I knew that I couldn't give Ghirahim this book. The map was a dead giveaway, and he might find something else to use against me in those old dusty pages. After all, if an ancient book like this could predict the route of the reincarnated Spirit Maiden, who's to say it wouldn't have useful information on _other _future events.

The question is...useful to whom? The good side or the bad one?

And that set up a whole new selection of questions. From living with Ghirahim for the last few weeks, the line between good and evil seemed to blur by the day. I didn't know how to classify him anymore.

I let out a sigh. No matter how I thought about Ghirahim, I still knew it was a terrible idea to give him this clue.

I promised myself that I was doing this for his own good, and before I could think anything otherwise, I found myself tearing the page from the book.

Without daring to look at the rest of the text, I shoved the book back under one of the shelves, stuffed the worn sheet of paper into my pocket, and exited the room.

* * *

The sound of my knocking was met with the sound of a groan.

"What do you need?" Ghirahim asked irritably, leaning against the door.

"We need to talk."

Ghirahim frowned. "I'm much too busy to chat with you idly. Have a nice night."

He tried to close the door, but I blocked it with my foot. "It's important."

Ghirahim furrowed his brow. "Should I be concerned?"  
"Relax," I soothed. "It's just a talk."

The demon lord moved aside, his face still perplexed.

"What's this about?"

I sat down on his bed, quiet for a second. "I had to read an interesting book for my school once."

He stared at me in confusion. "Okay..."

"You know, when I first started reading it, I thought it was stupid. But as I went along...it really spoke to me."

Ghirahim frowned. "I'm afraid I don't know why you're telling me this."

I took a deep breath. "You say you don't read much, so here's what we're going to do. I'm going to read the first page of this book, and you are going to listen. Just the first page; I promise."

"Why would you want to do that?" Ghirahim asked.

"Because...the first page—or well, it's more like the first _two—_has an important message on it that I think you need to hear."

The demon lord thought for a moment. "I suppose...if it's fast...you may read it to me. But I just have one question."

"I know these are nice boots, but I swear, if you say 'WHAT ARE THOOOSE'..."

Ghirahim ignored me. "If you are going to read to me, then where is this book of yours?"

I thought carefully before what I did next. Slowly, I reached into my pocket and took out my phone.

Ghirahim stared at it suspiciously. "What is _that_?"

I answered with the lie I had been practicing earlier. "It's a magic tablet that we have back in our world. It's enchanted with magic so that it's like a never ending piece of parchment. You can use...magic to put books on it."

Ghirahim held out his hand. "Let me see it."

I frowned. "I would...but it only works for one person. That's how the enchantment works."

"But I thought you were the only one of your kind to have magic?"

"I did too. Maybe that's why these work. Now shut up and listen."

To my relief, Ghirahim seemed too tired to argue. Even though he was acting normal, I knew he was still recovering, and he seemed to still be in a bit of pain, even if it had been nearly a week since the attack.

"Alright..."

I turned on my phone, making sure that the screen faced away from him. I opened my digital library, tapping on the book I had in mind. I had downloaded it a few years ago for the school assignment so I wouldn't have to carry the book around.

"This first chapter, the prologue actually, is called 'Death and Chocolate'."

"Cheerful."

I cleared my throat, taking a moment to collect myself before I began reading.

_"First the colors._

_ Then the humans._

_ That's usually how I see things._

_ Or at least, how I try._

_**"**__**Here is a small fact: You are going to die.**__**"**_

Ghirahim, who had been staring off into space as I read, jerked his head around to face me.

"What kind of a book is this? Why did you want to read me this?"

I rolled my eyes. "Shut up. This is a good book with good messages. Just listen to this beginning. Maybe it will make you think a little."

"Right," Ghirahim mumbled, though he sat down on the bed next to me and was quiet nonetheless. I leaned my head against his pillows, lying across the surface as he sat at the end.

"Now...where were we?"

_"I am in all truthfulness attempting to be cheerful about this whole topic, though most people find themselves hindered in believing in me, no matter my protestations. Please, trust me. I most definitely _can _be cheerful. I can be amiable. Agreeable. Affable. And that's only the A's. Just don't ask me to be nice. Nice has nothing to do with me."_

"Honestly, Sky Child, what kind of book is this? It's...characterizing what...? _ Death _of all things? What is this?"

I tap-kicked him in the side with my foot. "For the last time; just listen! And a lot of people think the author's choice of Death for the narrator is pretty genius. Including me."

"I'm pretty sure you mispronounced several of those 'A words'." Ghirahim grumbled.

"I'm thinking of a few 'A words' myself." I retorted. "Now please, just keep your mouth shut."

_**"Reaction To The Aforementioned Fact:**_

_** Does this worry you?**_

_** I urge you—don't be afraid.**_

_** I'm nothing if not fair."**_

"Right..." Ghirahim muttered.

_"–Of course, an introduction._

_ A beginning._

_ Where are my manners?_

_ I could introduce myself properly, but that's not really necessary. You will know me well enough and soon enough, depending on a diverse range of variables. It suffices to say that at some point in time, I will be standing over you, as genially as possible. Your soul will be in my arms. A color will be perched on my shoulder. I will carry you gently away._

_ "At that moment, you will be lying there (I rarely find people standing up). You will be caked in your own body. There might be a discovery; a scream will dribble down the air. The only sound I'll hear after that will be my own breathing, and the sound of the smell, of my footsteps."_

"How does sound have a _smell_?" Ghirahim exclaimed incredulously.

Rolling my eyes, I continued reading.

_"The question is, what color will everything be at that moment when I come for you? What will the sky be saying?"_

"If the sky is talking to you, then I think there wouldn't be much mystery in why one is dead..." Ghirahim mumbled. I almost laughed. Almost. He was missing the point. And I think it was intentional. After all, while the meaning of this book was buried under symbolism, personification, and metaphors, I knew he was definitely smart enough to know what the author was starting to get at. After all, he understood that the narrator was death within the first paragraph. Even I, the nerdy bookworm hadn't figured it out that fast. Ghirahim's intelligence was much greater than I had originally thought.

_ "Personally, I like a chocolate-covered sky. Dark, dark chocolate. People say it suits me. I do, however, try to enjoy every color I see—the whole spectrum. A billion or so flavors, none of them quite the same, and a sky to slowly suck on. It takes the edge off the stress. It helps me relax."_

With that last sentence, I closed the app and turned off my phone.

"Why did you read me that?" Ghirahim asked.

I sighed. "You really don't get it, do you?"

"Clearly not."

"The main reason was on the first page. You are going to die. Death itself is telling you that. It doesn't matter who you are. You're going to die, and you can't escape that. It doesn't matter that your master cast some spell to make you last longer—you're still going to die at some point. Do you really want to die doing something like this?"

"Like what?"

I stood up. "I mean...resurrecting Demise. You really want that to be your legacy?"

He nodded. "It has to be."

I began pacing. "This book was written about a very tragic part in my...island's history. This terrible man began killing a bunch of people just because of what they believed in. It wasn't just a war—it was a full out genocide. And that's what's most likely going to happen if Demise comes back. He's going to kill everyone who doesn't side with him. Everyone who sides with Hylia...they'll all be dead. Every last child. You can't honestly want that to happen. Wouldn't you rather focus on...say...what color you want the sky to be on the day you die?"

Ghirahim stood up as well. "So there _was _a reason you came here."

I sighed. "I was just wondering if..." I bit my lip. "Have you thought about what I've said about Demise?"

He hesitated for a moment before nodding his head. "Yes, I have. But you're wrong. Demise is like a father to me. Serving him isn't just my duty; it's an honor."

"An honor?" I scoffed. "If he's like a father, then he's an abusive father. Come on, Ghir. You can't honestly say you enjoy taking all these beatings from him. Just...stand up for yourself. Be your own man."

Ghirahim sighed. "Here we go again."

"What?"

The demon lord sent me an accusing glare. "You continually attempt to turn me against my master. But it won't work. He has my absolute loyalty. You know this...so why do you keep trying?"

I stood up, lacing my fingers in frustration. "It's just...I think my purpose here is to stop you from resurrecting Demise. It _must _be why I'm here. "

"Your purpose?" He frowned. "Don't tell me you're having some sort of existential crisis."

My eyes widened. "No! Just...forget about that. But think about it... After all, what good could come from his return? Say he comes back, and say Link can't defeat him. Zelda will die. Link probably will, too. And me? I'll probably end up going down with them, too. Do you really want that?"

Ghirahim said nothing.

"And what about your people? Would they really be better off with a leader like Demise? I'm willing to bet anything that he'll just lead them all on another raid of the surface. Ghirahim, he'll lead them into a war against innocent peoples. Thousands of lives will be lost—including those of your own kind."

Ghirahim lowered his gaze, still not responding.

"And what about you?" I went on, resting a hand on his shoulder. "You're risking everything for a master who abuses you. You think he'll reward you? You're wrong. I've seen this a million times. A powerful, ruthless villain will recruit one of his servants to do some impossible task. And if they succeed, most of the time they just end up where they started—a powerless slave."

"That's not going to happens," Ghirahim muttered. "I'm not like his other servants."

"Oh yeah?" I stood in front of him. "That's how the servant feels in all of these situations. They make you feel special, they promise you the world, and then, in the end, when you ask for your reward? They kill you."

Ghirahim glared at me. "Why do you keep doing this? Why do you keep filling my head with your lies? Why try to force me to betray the one who's kept me alive all these years?"

I set my hand delicately on his shoulder, making him flinch. "I'm not trying to force you to do anything. I just want to help you."

Ghirahim shrugged off my hand, glaring at me. "I don't _want _or _need _your help."

I bit my lip. "Actually, I think you do. You just don't realize it yet. You're a good person. You've just been misled."

The demon lord stood back, still giving me a cold look. "I haven't been misled. Demise is right. Demise is always right."

I let out a frustrated sigh. "Oh, God. What kind of propaganda did Demise fill your head with? Look, he's not a good master. He lies. He kills for fun. And he abuses his most loyal servant just because you're taking too long to solve _his _problem. He doesn't care about your loyalty. To him, you're just his property."

"Funny you'd say such things about someone you haven't even met." Ghirahim muttered. "How do you know what you say is true?"

"I just do, okay? At the end of the day, when you do revive Demise, do you know how he'll thank you?"

Ghirahim said nothing.

"He won't even thank you; I can promise that much. All the time you've spent together means nothing to him. He doesn't think of you as a son; just a tool. After all, who would force his own son to risk life and limb, and then almost kill him if he fails? When you succeed, he'll look at you, and before you can even finish welcoming him back, he'll force your spirit back into your sword. You think you're special just because you're his weapon? You're wrong. When's the last time you've thanked your own sword?"

He narrowed his eyes. "Wait a second, how—"

"No, _you _wait," I interrupted. "Still don't believe me when I say that he abuses you?"

Without waiting for an answer, I reached forward and swept aside the hair from the right side of his face, revealing his scarred, rounded ear. A few smaller marks were visible under his eye and on his cheek.

While I'd caught glimpses of his injury in this world, the main reason I knew about it was from playing the game. I hadn't actually been sure if he'd really have it, but sure enough, there it was.

"He did this to you, didn't he?"

"He—"

"Tell the truth." I insisted. "What could you have done to deserve this?"

He lowered his gaze his cheek brushing against my hand. "I refused to kill an incompetent demon when it made a fatal error, so he cut off the tip of my ear."

I was silent, feeling guilty that I'd forced him to talk about this painful memory.

"Are you satisfied, now that you know my little secret?" Ghirahim demanded icily. "Now you know why I always hide my face."

Before I could respond, a look of suspicion suddenly appeared on his face. He grabbed my wrist with a hand. His skin was cool against mine, and I realized with a start that he hadn't been wearing his gloves. Then again, did he ever wear them when he was by himself in his room?

The thought soon was pushed out of my mind as Ghirahim spoke.

"Wait a moment...how did you know about this?"

* * *

**Ghirahim's POV**

The girl's eyes grew twice their size. "I...er..." She looked away. "I saw it when we were carrying you to the infirmary. I wasn't sure what it was. Now I know."

I refused to release her arm. As if I believed that.

"Fine. Even if what you say is true, there is still one other problem."

"What?"

"How do you know I'm Demise's sword?"

At this, the girl's face grew pale. She opened her mouth, but no sound escaped her throat.

"This isn't the first time this has happened, is it?" I went on. "You think I don't notice when you say something that seems odd? Until this point, I just assumed it was because you're a strange girl, but now I have to wonder... Who are you? How do you know things about me that I've never told you? How do you know secrets that I've told no one before?"

"I don't...I mean...I just..."

"You just _what?_" I tightened my grip on her arm. I was tired of her lies and excuses. I just needed the truth.

"I..." She bit her lip. "Look...I know more than you think I do. I know things about this world that would shock you."

I felt my fingers grow ever tighter around her arm. "How?"

"It's...It's complicated..." she stuttered, her eyes wide with fear.

"Then _explain,_" I hissed. "No more secrets. Isn't that what we agreed?"

When she didn't respond, I clenched my grip tighter yet.

"Ow!" She exclaimed suddenly. "You're hurting me!"

I looked down and realized with a start that my nails were digging into the skin on her wrist. As I released my grip, I felt warm blood spread onto my fingertips. She pulled away and I felt a strange sensation as a trickle of the crimson liquid made a trail down her arm.

"Sky Child?"

I watched her back away, her fists clenched and her eyes glassy. "Why would you..." Her gaze hardened. "I don't even know why I try with you anymore. You're in a dangerous state of mind, and you're impossible to reason with. If you want to get yourself killed by resurrecting a horrible deity, then fine, be my guest. I couldn't care less about what happens to you, you _monster."_

And with that, she raced out of my room, not looking back. I watched her leave, feeling a sample of an emotion that I hadn't felt since the first time Demise ordered me to kill a living creature.

It was almost like...

Guilt.

**Marissa's POV**

* * *

Fuming and in pain, I stormed across the hallway and down the stairs.

Any other time, I would just heal my wound. But not today. If I healed it, then it would be gone. And if it was gone, then it would be forgotten. And there was a part of me...a selfish part of me...that wanted to have the wound as long as possible. Maybe I wanted to teach Ghirahim a lesson that would benefit him...or maybe I just wanted to spite him, but there was a part of my mind that wanted to keep the wound so that until it healed, every time he glimpsed it, he would remember what he'd done.

Making up my mind, I took a piece of gauze from the first-aid-kit in my recently returned adventure pouch, and I wrapped it gingerly around my gouged wrist.

Without thinking about where I wanted to go, I found myself wandering about the manor. My legs took my to the barracks, and from there, I ended up in a room I had never been in before.

I looked around in curiosity. The room was filled with strong nobles and commanders. Where was I?

"_Hey! You_"

I whipped around to see three heavily armed demons heading towards me.

"What are you doing here? This meeting room is reserved only for high-ranking officials. Your kind is not allowed here."

My face grew hot. "Oh...S-Sorry, I was just..."

The first demon continued to glare at me. "What? You here to discover our plans? You a Rebel Spy?"

My eyes widened. "No! I'm just... Ghirahim's guard. I just got lost, that's all."

"Ghirahim's guard my ass," the demon scoffed. "You really don't know anything, do you? Ghirahim's new guard is way more hardcore than you. Heck, just last week she single-handedly dragged him out of the glass hallway as a hundred archers were shooting at them. You're way too pathetic."

I glared back at him. "She didn't drag him away by herself. There was another demon who helped her. And by her I mean _me._ And it wasn't a hundred archers; more like a dozen.

"Right. Keep telling yourself that."

"No, she's telling the truth." The second demon said suddenly.

"How do you know that?"

"Because _I _was that other demon!" He retorted. "That's her alright."

I let out a breath of relief. "Now that we've established who I am, may I be on my way?"

"Not so fast," the first demon snapped. "You still trespassed. That's a crime that qualifies for capital punishment."

"_What?_" I shrieked.

"Relax," the second demon protested. "He's lying."

I let out a sigh of relief. "Good...I should be getting back to Ghirahim, so."

"Not so fast," he interrupted.

"I'm so sick of this." The third one chimed in, circling me. "Ghirahim this! Ghirahim that! You can't use him to get out of everything. I don't care what protocol says. I say we teach her a lesson."

"Couldn't agree more," the first demon purred.

The second demon wasn't as sold. "Guys, we might be taking this too..."

The first demon silenced him with a glare.

They began advancing on me, their weapons drawn.

I moved away slowly, holding out my hands in surrender. "S-Stay back. You don't want to hurt me. Ghirahim would be angry."

"Again with using Ghirahim as an excuse," the first demon exclaimed. He swung his sword at me, making me stumble and fall. "Do us all a favor and shut your mouth. We don't care what Ghirahim thinks."

"Well you _should._" A new voice declared from behind me, making all four of us jump.

"Lord Ghirahim! Hey! Um...what's up?" The demon prattled, flustered.

"Step away from her," Ghirahim commanded in a low voice, drawing his rapier.

"Look, Ghirahim," the noble responded, "we were just having a little fun. Stay out of this, will you?"

"You will not harm her," he insisted, his voice icy.

"We'll see about that," the second demon growled. In a split second, the noble charged at me. Ghirahim jumped in front of me and slashed his sword across my attacker's face. It stumbled back, and the other two ran towards Ghirahim, anger on their faces.

Ghirahim sliced one of them across the arm and kicked the other in the stomach. The largest of them struck Ghirahim in the jaw and the other drew his silver sword. The third summoned a sword of his own. They both charged at Ghirahim as he stood, stunned.

Shocked into action, I lept to my feet, tripping the nearest demon and accidentally setting the other one's shirt on fire. It cried out as azure flames consumed the fabric of his clothes. Ghirahim kicked the largest demon and it crumpled to the floor. The one I tripped stood up, just to get kicked in the shin by yours truly. He fell back down, not getting back up this time. The flaming creature rolled across the ground, trying to put out the flames. Just as the last blue ember died, Ghirahim stepped on his chest and knocked the enemy out with the hilt of his sword.

"Thanks," I breathed, feeling a rush of relief.

"What possessed you to get into a conflict with the Terrible Triplets?"

"I didn't try to! They just attacked me and..." I lowered my head. "Sorry, Ghirahim."

He sighed, hesitantly resting a hand on my shoulder. I flinched back instinctively, still feeling the pain in my arm.

"I..." he mumbled, jerking back his arm.

"No...No I'm sorry...I wasn't trying to..." I took a deep breath. "Are you alright?"

He nodded.

I reached up and placed a thumb against the edge of his jaw. "You're going to have quite the bruise there," I sympathized, tracing my thumb against his jawline.

"I'll be fine," he insisted. He moved away, staring at something behind me. "What's on the floor over there? Did you drop that?"

I turned around. Near where I fell was an old crumpled piece of folded parchment.

My eyes widened in horror. "It's nothing!"

But Ghirahim had already passed me. He picked up the paper, frowning. "This looks like a page from some old book. But...why is it here?"

"I..."

Ghirahim's eyes widened as he took a closer look at the paper. "This...This is a map. I wonder..."

I reached for it, grabbing the edge of the paper. "It's just something I found. Can I have it back?"

"Wait. Did you get this from one of my books?"

"I...er..."

Ghirahim glared at me. "Were you hiding this from me? What is it, a map of the Spirit Maiden's journey or something?"

My voice failed to work. Ghirahim tore the paper from my grasp, leaving a tiny edge of it in my fingers. "Why would you hide this from me?"

I said nothing.

"You betrayed me."

I bit my lip, staring at the ground. Everything that had happened in the past hour ran through my head. It was all too much.

"I can't believe you did this! What did I tell you? No secrets! And yet what do you do? You hide the biggest lead that I've ever seen!"

He glared down at me, his face full of anger and betrayal.

I felt my face burn in shame. "I...I'm sorry. I just can't..."

Before he could react, I turned tail and ran out of the room, across the barracks, out of the manor, and into a flurry of snow outside,

* * *

**Just as they were starting to trust each other...**

**Don't worry; this argument is part of one of the most important events.**

**We are so close to 400! You guys rock! Love you all!**

**Oh, and in case you didn't know, the book that Marissa was reading him was the beginning of _The_ _Book Theif _by Markus Zusak_. _I actuallyhave not read all of it myself, but I plan to. However, I've seen the movie (which is one of the few movies that have made me tear up) and read several of the key chapters, which I plan to tie back to this story every once in a while. I think there are a lot of good morals and themes that can be carried over by moments like this. If what I have in mind works, then it's going to make the ending more powerful. Anyway, just giving credit where credit is due, I did not write the book thief, I just put in samples for the sake of the story. The rights belong to its author and so on.**

**Anyways...if there's any advice I can give you this week, it's this:**

**Choose your battles wisely. I cannot stress that enough. Losing one argument, even if you are right, or at least think you are, is better than losing someone you care about.**

**~Catwhiskers24~**


	58. Chapter 56: Strike of the Rising Blade

**Howdy y'all!**

**Sorry this took so long but...well...I had to be careful with this chapter. Not to overstate this, but literally everything that has happened in the book has lead to this moment.**

**Anyway, I hope I didn't mess it up too bad.**

**DiscountPineappl: Happy Birthday! Well, Happy Late Birthday, I'd assume. Or maybe I completely misunderstood your comment...**

**Shy Potato: You are correct that his hair covers the left side of his face, but since the chapter was in Marissa's POv, and she was facing towards him, it was her right. At least I think...**

**GrimySixpence: You are exactly right in describing the betraying/apologizing relationship as cat and mouse. That's actually what I was getting at. I was trying to make the readers feel her frustration, feel her sense of useless effort. But that should end now. Also, yes, it would be hard for paper to fall out of say, jeans, but she's wearing baggy pants like Link's so I thought it was a bit realistic. **

**I think that's all the time we have. The moment is here.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own LOZ and I'm too lazy to write out the rest of this.**

* * *

**Marissa's POV**

White. Just white. White as far as the eye could see.

Was it snowing?

Yup.

Did I go back?

…Nope.

I did not.

Stupid, dumb, or just stubborn, I made my way through the howling blizzard. I could barely see anything, but I could hear so much. The storm tore its way through my ears and into my mind. I found myself practically breathing snow.

Thankfully, being a girl who'd grown up in a state known for its cold winters, I could tolerate the cold alright.

But I still didn't like it. Not like this.

After a while of trudging through the snow, I found myself on the border of Faron Woods. I honestly hadn't been trying to go in that direction, but I accepted the event as fate and crossed into the woods.

The temperature change was immediate and immense. It was like going into a house with its heater on overdrive. I guess it had something to do with the barrier Demise put around his people's realm. That or I was just losing my mind. To be honest though, the two possibilities seemed to be equally likely.

I brushed snow out of my hair, moving down the trail. The truth was, I had no idea where I was going. When Ghirahim had found my hidden map...I don't know. I guess I'd just freaked. I had no idea what he was going to do. I wasn't necessarily afraid that he would hurt me; I guess I was just nervous he would do something...bad.

I had no idea what though. All I knew was that I was in no shape to face his anger. Not when I had made so much progress with him.

Well...progress in a relative sense.

I brought my hand to the bandage around my wrist, wincing. I'd pushed too hard. I knew that.

It definitely wasn't out of the ordinary for Ghirahim to hurt someone, but I didn't expect that someone to be _me._ Not now. Not after all that had happened in the past few weeks.

But then...what _did_ I expect?

After all...it didn't matter what I did. It didn't matter how many times I helped him...or saved his life. Nothing mattered but the bond he shared with his master. I would always be second best, if even that. His allegiance would always be first and foremost to Demise, and I was starting to worry that there was nothing I could do about that.

"Hey! What are you, blind? I spent two hours collecting those herbs!"

I looked up in surprise, coming face-to-face with Herb himself. He relaxed when he saw me.

"Oh, it's just you. Get off my stuff, Ocean."

I looked down, blinking in horror as I realized I was crushing a pile of carefully collected medicinal herbs with my foot.

"Sorry. I guess I messed up again." I muttered sheepishly, taking a quick step back.

Herb sighed, bending down and lifting the crushed stems. "Oh well. It's not like these are rare herbs that could help save someone's life..." He paused. "Oh wait. They _are_."

I lowered my head. "Sorry. I'm stupid."

Herb chuckled quietly. "Well, if you truly believe that, then you really are. Now stop apologizing and walk with me."

I fell into step beside him as he continued down the trail.

After not even ten feet, he gave me a weird look and put a hand on my face.

"Herb...what are you doing?" I yelped, surprised.

"Your face...something's wrong."

I blinked in confusion. "What?"

Herb clicked his tongue. "I just can't put my finger on it but...oh...that's right. You aren't smiling. Why aren't you smiling?"

"What? Oh..." I looked down. "I don't smile _all _the time."

"You really think that?" Herb took a moment to laugh. "Ocean, if you weren't such a conscientious people person, then it wouldn't surprise me if you smiled through a funeral."

"What? What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing. You just smile a lot. That's what I've been trying to tell you this whole time."

I looked down. "Oh. Sorry."

Herb laughed again. "Don't _apologize, _you silly girl." He ruffled up my already tussled hair. "It's not a bad thing. No, not at all. I think everyone should have a little more of your joy."

I shrugged. "It's not really joy. It's more like...looking on the bright side of things."

"So you're an optimist. That's not bad either," Herb went on. "So what is it then? What's on your mind?"

"What are you talking about?" I shoved my hands into my pockets. "There's nothing on my mind. I'm perfectly happy."

Herb shook his head. "Oh, Ocean. You're a good kid, and you're good at a lot of things. But lying? That's not one of them."

I put my hands on my hips "Oh _really._ What makes you think I'm lying?"

Herb poked my cheek. "Like I said...you're not smiling, and that's weird for you. There's something bothering you. I may not be a psychiatrist, but you should spill it anyway. Tell me everything."

I looked down bashfully. "It's nothing, really."

"Ocean..."

I sighed in exasperation. "Okay, so maybe me and Ghirahim got into a little fight, but it's no big deal."

"No big deal, eh?" Herb nodded towards my arm. "So that's why you're wandering around the forest. Alone. In a blizzard. With a bleeding wound."

"Yeah. I mean no. Er, well...I don't know what I mean..." I looked down.

"Hey..." Herb put a hand on my shoulder in a brotherly fashion. "We all know how Ghirahim can be. Just tell me what happened. I won't judge."

"Okay..." I bit my lip. "So earlier today I found this map. It was a map of the Spirit Maiden's route. The thing is...I didn't want Ghirahim to see it. I thought...I thought if I could keep him distracted long enough for Zelda to complete her journey...then maybe everything would be okay. Ghirahim's my friend, but then Zelda and Link are too. I don't want anything to happen to them. Any of them. So I didn't want him to see the map. But then...we got into another argument over Demise, and then _this _happened. And...And I left. A few demons attacked me and then Ghirahim rescued me. But the map fell out of my pocket during the fight and he found it and..."

"And he's furious," Herb finished.

"Yeah, I think so."

"You _think _so?"

"Well, yeah. I mean...I didn't exactly stick around to find out."

Herb didn't respond right away.

"What do I do?"

The healer shook his head. "I don't know. Situations like this are beyond me. Ghirahim is not one to easily forget...and yet..." He frowned. "He's also not one to spend his time discussing his life's goals with young Skyloftian girls."

"That helps," I mumbled.

Herb chuckled. "All I'm saying is that this is something I haven't seen before. It's not a bad thing. It's just new."

I stared at the ground as I took each step. "Herb, this is maddening. It's like...the moment I start getting close to Ghirahim, I find a way to mess it up."

Herb didn't answer right away. Then he cleared his throat. "Look, Ocean, what you are trying to do isn't easy. You two have very different stances on just about every little thing that happens in this life. And because of that...because your very fundamental beliefs are so different, it's hard for the two of you to see eye-to-eye. That's to be expected. After all, when you decided to reason with someone like Ghirahim, you didn't honestly think it would be easy, did you?"

I shook my head.

"Exactly. And it won't be easy. If you want to change his opinions on someone like Demise, someone he's known his entire life, you are going to have to work hard. The two of you were raised in such different ways that it's almost impossible to expect you both to have the same morals. And I believe that creates a problem for you. You are so cemented in on what you believe is right that you refuse to see his point of view. You may not realize it...but you can be as stubborn as him."

I stared at him, mouth agape. "_Me_? Herb, I'm just trying to get him to do the right thing. And it's not just right for him—changing his ways will help hundreds of other people. It could be the difference between their life and death."

"And I understand that," Herb cut in gently, "but Ghirahim thinks otherwise. You must understand by now...the things you are telling him are as absurd to him as his ways are to you. To him, what he's doing isn't wrong; to him, reviving Demise is his destiny. You may think you really understand him, but I don't think you do. Betraying Demise is as unthinkable to him as joining Demise is to you. Your opinions themselves are polar opposites. No matter how much you believe you're right, you cannot just thrust your beliefs onto him. People are slow to listen, and even slower to change. You must have realized that."

"I have, but..." I frowned. "It just makes no sense to me why he would serve someone like Demise. I mean, no offense to you and your species, but he's _terrible. _I mean, why serve someone who's just going to hurt you? He can't honestly think that reviving Demise could possibly benefit him!"

"But he does. To Ghirahim, giving up on his mission is as absurd as continuing it is to you. The problem is...back where you come from, I have a feeling there were common beliefs on what is right and wrong. And yet..that is entirely different to Demise. There isn't a simple right or wrong that the two of you can easily agree on. And because there isn't, it would be virtually impossible to stop him from following Demise."

I felt cold with hopelessness. "So you're saying...I should just give up?"

Herb shook his head. "No. I'm only saying what I know. And what I know is this: You're in for a struggle. I know you're hoping for some storybook ending; a 'happily ever after' ending, as they say. But this isn't a fairy tale. It's not some game. This is life, and in life, nothing good comes free. The best only comes with the worst. You can't have success without struggle, but you can make the success worth the struggle. How else would it be worth the effort?"

I shrugged. "I...I guess I never thought about it that way..."

The healer smiled. "Well, if there's nothing I can teach you about healing, it's nice to know you've learned _something _from me."

"Hey!" I swatted his arm. "You've taught me a ton about healing. Just because I can occasionally heal a wound with magic doesn't mean we don't need your knowledge. We need you Herb. We'll always need you."

He laughed. "Aww, damn. Now you're making me tear up. You're despicable."

I grinned at the forest floor. "Thanks for cheering me up, Herb."

Herb smiled back at me. "Anytime, Smiley. Just promise me this: Now that you've become a master at healing, you've got to promise me that you'll use your gift to do the things I can't."

"Of course."

Herb's smile faded. "I mean it. And that includes taking over for me, should anything ever happen."

"Herb, nothing's going to..." I trailed off as Herb gave my hand a gentle squeeze.

"I'm not saying I'm going to up and die soon. I just would like to know that I've got someone to rely on. Someone to keep my legacy going."

I looked him in the eye. "I will; I promise."

"Good," Herb breathed, looking up. He had a weird look on his face.

"Why are you asking anyway?"

"It's nothing. It's just well...a weird feeling I've had lately. I'm sure it's nothing, though."

I nodded. "Yeah. You're probably just crazy."

He rolled his eyes. "That's ironic coming from you."

I raised my eyebrows. "Oh yeah?"

"Of course," the healer confirmed, slowing to a stop. "Now...I'd love to keep taunting you...but I'd better get back to the manor. I'd suggest you do the same."

I nodded. "Here...let me warp you there. There's no reason for you to go through that storm."

"Well...if you insist."

Taking Herb's arm, I teleported him back to our strange home.

* * *

The moment we set foot in the manor, I found myself walking back outside again.

It wasn't that I didn't want to see Ghirahim—I just didn't know what to do when I did. I mean, this happened again and again. I'd do something to anger him, something he saw as less than loyal, and then I'd storm out. Then we'd talk again, apologize, and the cycle would continue. But I didn't want it to. I was starting to think of him more as a friend than a liability, and I wanted him to feel the same. I was tired of our bipolar relationship. I needed to think of something that would help me break out of this cycle—at least until the problem with Demise was resolved.

Even if I didn't get some ingenious idea, I could at least give Ghirahim a bit more space so he could cool down. And that went for me too. I didn't want to get defensive again. I had to regain my composure so that I could talk to him without getting agitated if he was still angry. I had to figure out a way to make peace with him without admitting I was wrong. I know that sounds stubborn...and maybe Herb was right that I am, but it wasn't pride that drove me to this. At least, I didn't think it was. It seemed to be due to the fact that I didn't want to undermine my own points. I wanted to stay true to what I'd told him. And yet...was that any different from the mindset anyone else had after a fight?

There I went again—doubting myself.

I wished that for once in my life, I could just stop thinking for a while, but that was a fool's dream. I had a feeling just about anyone else would struggle to find their peace of mind in a situation like mine.

To attempt taking my mind off my problems, I began humming various songs that had been stuck in my head recently. After a while they seemed to meld together into a nameless tune. I couldn't even focus on _music._ Alright, this was bad.

I was so caught up in my own problems that I almost didn't notice the heap of person lying on the ground in the snow, still as death. Needless to say, that was one of the most surprising double takes I'd ever had.

"Please don't be a corpse..." I muttered, hurrying back a few feet.

I rolled the body over, my eyes practically tripling in size. "_Malice?_"

A pair of orange eyes snapped open. "...O-Ocean?"

I frantically brushed snow off of the rest of his body. "What happened to you? Why are you out here?"

Malice shivered, his face nearly as pale as the snow around him. "I...message...Ghirahim..."

I bit my lip. "Why didn't you warp?"

He shrugged his freezing shoulders. "Thought...Thought I'd be less suspicious if I w-walked."

"Oh, Al." I sat him up. "I'm going to teleport you to the manor, alright?"

Malice didn't argue, so I took his arm, returning the two of us to the manor.

We staggered through the front doors, me supporting Malice as he could barely stand up. I led him to the nearby living room, helping him onto the couch by the fire. After a servant fetched some blankets, the young demon was bundled up on the couch, shivering lightly.

We sat in silence for a while, and I got a sensation of awkward tension as I thought about what had happened the last time I'd seen him.

"So..." I cleared my throat. "How's work for your new master? Is it any better?"

Malice shrugged. "I don't know yet. I was supposed to start today, but that all depends on if I can deliver his message to Ghirahim."

I thrummed my fingers against my knee nervously. "Who is this new master of yours?"

Malice shook his head. "I can't tell you."

"Oh, come on." I set a hand on his shoulder. "You did tell me you don't work for the Rebels, didn't you?"

"I did."

"And you were telling the truth?"

"Yes, I was."

"Then you can tell me who you work for. After all, if he's not a Rebel, then how bad can he be?"

Malice fidgeted nervously. "I would prefer to tell you _after _my mission."

"You mean giving Ghirahim that message?"

"Yes."

I stood up. "Then tell me what it is and I'll tell him for you."

Malice looked down. "No. It has to be me. My master was very specific."

"But you just about froze to death out there. Why don't you recover while I talk to him? I kinda need a reason to speak with him, anyway."

"It has to be me," Malice insisted. Then he frowned. "Hey, what happened to your arm?"

"Oh, that." I brought a finger to the bandage. "I accidentally mentioned something about Ghirahim that he hadn't told me, and he grabbed my arm. He wasn't wearing his gloves so he...er...accidentally cut my skin with his nails."

A protective look crossed over Malice's face. "Why would he do that to you? He can't...I mean...you can't let him hurt you like that. He has no right! Why are you so loyal to someone who keeps hurting you?"

"It was an accident..." I protested.

"Was it? This isn't the first time he's hurt you, is it? And yet you continue to serve him?"

"Malice, it's my duty! It's my mission! It's my purpose to..." I trailed off.

Why did this conversation sound familiar? Oh yes, it was because it was my argument with Ghirahim all over again, only this time, my position had been switched. And was my logic that much different than Ghirahim's reasoning?

As if reading my thoughts, Malice spoke up again, softly this time. "Isn't your whole mission in this world to stop him from serving his abusive master? How come you're falling victim to the same situation?"

I shook my head. "No. It's not like that. Ghirahim never meant to hurt me."

Malice stood up as well. "And he could say the same about Demise. He's blinded by his own devotion. How do you know you're seeing any clearer?"

I frowned. "Because...I just do, okay? I'm just Ghirahim's defender. My judgment isn't impaired by idolatry like his is."

"Yes, your situations are different, Ocean. Regardless, just because you were appointed by a goddess to protect him doesn't mean that your relationship with Ghirahim is any better than his with his master."

"Come on, Al. You don't know him like I do. He's just scared and...and desperate. He _needs _to please Demise. At least, in his mind he does. The stress of it all has put him on edge."

Malice sighed. "Fine. Don't listen to me. I've got a message to deliver anyway." He stood up, looking around. Then he glanced at me. "Could you...Could you take me to him? I guess I've forgotten how to get to his room."

"Sure..." I agreed, staring at him in confusion. I didn't realize the boy had such a bad memory. I lead the way towards the stairs, making sure Malice was keeping up alright. He was still shivering a bit, but he seemed to be feeling better.

"Ghirahim's been much more...careful about security. Before anyone is allowed in his quarters, they need to be checked."

"Checked?"

"Yeah." I slowed down as we reached the beginning of the hallway leading to his room. "Are you intending to hurt Ghirahim?"

"What?"

I shrugged. "It's my job as his guard to ask these questions. They're protocol. Now answer the question."

"Could you repeat it?"

"Do you intend to hurt Ghirahim?"

"Why would I do that?"

I sighed. "Do you have any grievances against him that I should be worried about?"

"You mean..._besides _the ones you already know about?"

I went on. "Do you have any weapons?"

Malice turned to look at me.

"What do you think? Do you really think I'd want to hurt anyone?"

"I _think _it is a new regulation to search you for weapons. Stand still for me, will you?"

My old friend stared at the ground. "You really don't trust me, do you?"

"Of course I do. I just have to do this."

"You wouldn't have to if you really believed that I could be trusted. What happened to us, Ocean? We used to tell each other everything. How could anything change that?" Malice gave me an almost desperate look. "Please, just let me go. This is a matter of life and death!"

I hesitated. I really needed to make sure Malice didn't have any weapons...but then again...did I really have to doubt him? This was _Al. _This was the guy who'd broke down in tears after I told him he was being vicious with his words. The Al I knew would never hurt anyone. And after our last talk had ended with so much icy resentment, I wanted to show Malice that I still trusted him. I didn't want him to leave angry again.

"You know what? I believe you. You wouldn't want to hurt anyone. Besides, I want to talk to him so that we can settle our problems once and for all. Come on; Ghirahim's room is this way.

Malice smiled, following me. "Thank you, Marissa. And...it really is good to see you again."

"It's good to see you, too," I replied, setting a hand on his shoulder. Then I knocked on the door.

"Ghirahim?"

"Yes?"

I opened up the door, encouraged that his voice sounded more tired than it did angry. He turned to look from his desk as I took a step in. As soon as his eyes met mine, they seemed to soften. An unreadable expression crossed his face. Anger? Sadness? Relief? Guilt? Exhaustion? A combination? Whatever it was, I couldn't easily tell. He stepped forward slowly.

"Ocean...I..."

I held up a hand. "I'm not here to talk to you. Not right now, anyway."

Ghirahim frowned. "Then why—"

"You have a visitor."

"Who?"

Malice entered at my side. "Greetings, Lord Ghirahim. May I have a word?"

Ghirahim blinked. "No."

"Please, Ghirahim. This is a matter of utmost importance. I have a message for you from my master."

"Then what are you waiting for? An invitation? Give it to me already."

Malice glanced at me nervously. "This message...it is only for your ears."

Ghirahim folded his arms. "If you've got something important to say, then you can say it in front of her."

"No, it's fine." I stepped out of the room. "I'll...er...give you some time to talk. Don't kill each other, alright?"

Ghirahim was glaring at Malice as though he was seriously considering tearing the boy apart. "I can't make any promises."

Rolling my eyes, I closed the door. But before I could will myself to walk away, my curiosity overwhelmed me, and I put my ear to the door.

"What's this about, boy?" I heard Ghirahim growl in a low voice. "Can it not wait?"

Malice's voice seemed to drop an octave. "It's waited long enough."

"What are you talking about?"

"You see, my master's message regards something he was been considering for years now."

"Who is this master you keep mentioning?"

"The same as yours. He's the one thing we have in common. Sadly, that cannot last."

My stomach dropped. Malice was sounding really weird.

"You work for Demise?" Ghirahim asked, a menacing undertone in his voice.

"I do."

"And what is this message _our _master has for me?"

"It's simple..."

There was a pause.

"You have been replaced."

I caught my breath.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean? Replaced? By _who?_"

"You're looking at him."

"Boy..."

"Allow me to explain. You see, your master—_our _master, rather—is growing sick of your exploiting, deceitful nature."

"_Pardon?_"

"I'm saying, Demise no longer believes you're holding up your end of your agreement. After all, here you are, spending your days in the manor he's provided you with, fraternizing with the enemy. And yet, even with all he's given you, you're no closer to resurrecting him. I assume you can understand his..._frustration. _ My master wanted me to inform you that after giving you multiple chances, he's decided that you are no longer fit to fill the position of his sword. After all, you're incapable in succeeding in your _one job._"

Ghirahim didn't speak right away. "You lie. Master would never lose faith in me. I only need a bit more time."

"You've _had _time, Ghirahim. You've had since the first war to prepare for your apprehension of the Spirit Maiden. And yet, it's been weeks since she first left her island, and she's still free. I'm sure you can fathom my master's doubt."

"_Our _master," Ghirahim corrected.

"No. My master. Demise is no longer in need of your service. _I'm _his sword now."

"That's ridiculous," Ghirahim spat. "He can only have one sword. That's how the spell works. And it can't be broken."

"I agree." Malice purred. I'd never heard him like this. "There can only be one sword."

More silence.

"You're not here just to deliver a message, are you?"

I heard a laugh. "You're too clever," Malice confirmed.

A chill ran through me. Was he saying what I thought he was saying?

Ghirahim's voice was strained. "You must think you're bloody clever, now don't you? Attacking me while I'm still recovering. You're a coward."

"Perhaps. But I am indeed clever. Clever enough to strike up a deal with _your _master."

"And what is this deal?" Ghirahim asked icily.

I tried the door. It was locked. I cursed under my breath, attempting to break open the lock with magic.

"Demise told me that as there can only be one sword, he cannot give me the position. Not yet, anyway. I just have to wait for a spot to open. Or... I could take his deal. You see, while you live, I cannot rise to his position as his blade. But he told me...if I were to dispose of you..._I_ could be your replacement."

"You're the Rising Blade..." Ghirahim realized quietly, just loud enough for me to hear. I gasped. This couldn't be happening. After trying once more, the lock clicked open.

"Yes, I am the Rising Blade. And I intend to fulfill my end of the bargain. _Now._"

I flung the door open, just in time to see Malice standing behind Ghirahim.

"Ghira...?" I stared at the demon lord. That's when I noticed the tip of a dagger protruding from the middle of his chest.

My blood went cold. Ghirahim's knees began to buckle, and soon Malice was the only thing holding him upright.

The younger demon ripped the knife from Ghirahim's chest, the blade leaving with the sound of tearing flesh and cracking bone.

For a moment, no one moved. Then blood spurted from the wound, and I felt lightheaded.

"You should have stayed outside, Ocean," Malice scolded me. Before I could react, a globe of orange energy erupted around me, trapping me. I tried banging against it, pounding my fist against the barrier, using magic, but nothing worked; nothing cared.

Then, without visible remorse, Malice shoved the blade through Ghirahim's stomach, and then into the chest again.

"_Malice!_" I shrieked. "How could you _do this? _You told me you wouldn't hurt him! You promised!"

Malice laughed. "Oh, my sweet Marissa, I promised _nothing._ Yes, you asked me if I would hurt him, but did I truly deny it?"

I thought for a moment. I felt a rush of stupidity as I realized he was right.

"There's a reason why people don't enjoy their questions being answered _with _a question," Malice jeered.

I stared at him, feeling confused and betrayed. I'd never known this side of him even existed, much less seen it.

"Your problem, my friend, is that you are too trusting," Malice went on. "It was far too easy to manipulate you."

I glared at him. "How long? How long have you been planning to do this?"

Malice let Ghirahim fall to the ground, allowing his head to hit the floor before he scooped the noble up again.

"Well, after the ambush with the archers didn't work—"

"Wait, that was _you_?" I exclaimed. "You were the one who set that up?"

"I was. After my cover was almost blown by that idiot Rebel bokoblin, I knew I had to try a different approach. That's how I came up with this plan. And you, my dear, made this all possible. You have my thanks."

Words cannot describe the horror and shame I felt at that moment. How could I have been so _stupid?_

Ghirahim's glazed eyes met mine and I couldn't read the expression on his face. For once, I saw no emotion. It was the look of defeat, as if he was already gone.

I fought back the wave of terror that threatened to take a hold of me. "What about the hemlock?"

"That was me as well."

"I should've guessed!" I exclaimed, furious at myself.

"Yes. I never denied attempting to poison him, you realize. All I said was I never tried to poison Platnox, which was true. The poison wasn't meant for him. He was merely...collateral damage."

"How can you say something like that?" I spat. "After what the Rebels did to you... How can you help them like this?"

"I'm _not _helping them," Malice protested. "I'm _leading _them."

All along, Malice had been planning Ghirahim's murder. The worst part? He never lied. Not much, anyway.

"That day in the forest...when you collapsed..." I trailed off.

"Yes. That was the day he first made contact with me. He told me that he could help me escape, that he could make my life better. He said Violet and I would never have to be in danger again."

"Violet would be ashamed of you." I snapped. "How dare you claim you did it for her? If she could see you now..."

"But she _can't._" Malice interrupted. "She'll never know what I had to do for her."

I pounded my fist against the barrier. "God dammit, Malice, you didn't _have _to do anything. You think Ghirahim's bad? You're worse. You're so much worse."

Malice looked away. "That may be...but it will be worth it in the end." He looked down at Ghirahim. I couldn't tell if the noble was still breathing or not. Every fiber of my being was screaming to run to him and heal him. But I couldn't. I was trapped.  
"You should be happy. Did you not say you wanted to settle your problems with Ghirahim 'once and for all'?"

Ghirahim lifted his head a little, and I let out a huge sigh of relief. He was still alive.

"Why would I be happy? It's my job to protect him."

"And you're doing a _fantastic job_, my friend. But if you care about him so much, don't you think he should know the truth?"

I froze. "Malice, don't do this. I..."

"So you want him to die with your lies still in his mind?"

I shook my head. "No! I don't want him to die at all!"

"Well that's too bad. But I think he should know the truth. Should I tell him or will you?"

"Malice..."

"Fine," He looked down at Ghirahim. "She never told you, did she? About how Hylia brought her here to protect you, how she's not even from this _world?_"

Ghirahim used what little strength he had to look at me. "Sky Child?" He rasped.

"Malice, please!" I begged.

But he ignored me, dragging his dagger across Ghirahim's skin, seeming to be enjoying making him bleed. "Yes, everything she told you was one big lie. And not just about her name. She comes from a place called...Earth, I believe." He turned to me. "Isn't that what you told me when you thought I was unconscious?"

I felt my face burn. "You...You heard all that?"

"I did." Malice bent over Ghirahim again. "Yes, she is definitely not who she says she is. Well, at least who she told _you _she is. She told me the truth long ago." Malice smirked. "Didn't you, Ocean? Or should I say_...Marissa_?"

I bent my head, my strength gone. "Please...just...just stop."

And yet Malice went on. "Oh yes, and you know what the worst of it is? Everything she's done for you, Hylia forced her to do. You really think she stayed just because she wanted to look after you? You think she actually cares? Wrong!"

"It's not true!" I shouted. "It's not true!"

"Isn't it?" Malice was loving this. "After all, she did come out to the roof every night with me just to complain to me about you."

My eyes stung. I was trying hard not to cry.

Ghirahim was still somewhat conscious. His chest just heaved as he stared at me, lying half in Malice's cruel arms and half in a pool of his own dark blood. He should be dead. If he were a human, he would be. Maybe it was Demise's charm or maybe he was just tough, but he was still alive. With each heaving breath, he was fighting for his life. Maybe it was time I did the same.

"Malice, you're right."

"What?"

I stared hard at my feet. "Now I realize...I've only been staying here because Hylia is forcing me to. But I hate it. You were right about how Ghirahim and I are no different than how he is with his master. It's an unhealthy, forced relationship."

Malice looked surprised. "Well...I'm glad you finally came to your senses."

I nodded, forcing a smile. "So am I. So can you let me out of here?"

"Sounds reasonable and—Do you think I'm a fool? You will not trick me so easily."

I bit my lip. "I'm not trying to trick you. I'm trying to make my peace with you. I'm sorry for doubting you for so long."

Malice was quiet for a moment. "You really want to make your peace with me?"

I gave him the most pleading look I could muster. "Please, Al," I begged in a small voice. "I just want to make this up to you. Take me away from here. I just want to be with you. I'm tired of lying to myself."

"Well..." Malice sighed. "I can't say no to those big doe eyes of yours."

Malice snapped his fingers and my prison melted away. He tossed the dagger into my hands.

I stared at it, repulsed. "What would you have me do?"

Malice propped Ghirahim up, using his arm to better expose the demon lord's neck.

"Show me you feel nothing for him. He has a stubborn way of surviving mortal wounds longer than your average demon. Finish him off, will you?"

I felt light headed as I felt blood on the handle of the knife. I looked down at Ghirahim. He appeared fairly stoic. I could see nothing. No fear. No anger. He wasn't pleading me to do anything. The look on his face just seemed to say, "Come on now, Sky Child, make up your mind. I haven't all night."

I looked from Malice to Ghirahim. Malice nodded encouragingly. "Go ahead. A blow to the throat should do it. You wouldn't want him to suffer, would you?"

No, I definitely wouldn't want him to suffer. And Malice had brought up some points that made me question my relationship with Ghirahim. After all, what if I couldn't stop him from reviving Demise, and people died because of it? I would be just as accountable for their deaths as everyone else in this room.

And yet...killing Ghirahim? It was unthinkable. After all we'd been through, I couldn't even consider the possibility.

"Hurry now," Malice said, struggling to keep the impatience out of his voice.

I looked to Ghirahim, then at Malice, and then back at Ghirahim again. I stared into his dark brown eyes. Not black. Brown. That wasn't the only thing that I'd had wrong about him, and I knew it wouldn't be the last.

I took a deep breath, collected my wits, and brought the knife down.

* * *

**Okay yeah, meanest cliffhanger ever. This just became a whole "Lady or the Tiger situation. Sorry...**

**First day of the semester starts tomorrow. I'll try to keep up.**

**Have a nice year.**

**~Catwhiskers24~**


	59. Chapter 57: A Painful Goodbye

**Hey...**

**I know, I know. That was a nasty cliffhanger that I left this on, and now I finally have the nerve the update after TWO WEEKS. But I'm honestly trying. I took some hard courses this year and now I'm paying the price. But enough excuses; here is your update...**

**Disclaimer: I do not own LOZ, just my Oc's, plot twists, cliffhangers, and alternate story line.**

* * *

**Marissa's POV**

The room was filled with a screech as I shoved the blade through Malice's intertwined hands. I removed the blade as quickly as it had impaled his skin. He shrieked, standing up as blood ran down his wrist, dripping onto the carpet below.

I shoved him away from Ghirahim, carefully catching the demon lord before his head could hit the floor again.

"You fool! You could have had everything!" Malice shouted, cringing in agony.

I looked at Ghirahim's still form in my arms, watching his struggle to breathe.

"You know, Malice..." I muttered. "I think I already do."

Malice blinked at me furiously, disbelief and rage smothering every innocent feature on his face. His arms dripped with his blood and that of his enemy.

"You'll regret this," Malice hissed. "I gave you chance after chance, but it is clear Ghirahim has taken control of your mind as well. Don't say I didn't warn you. And you can't protect him forever. I'll be back...I'll destroy everything that's important to you. That, I can promise."

And with that, he was gone.

I sat there for a moment, stunned by everything that had just happened. Then I heard a desperate gasp of air. I looked down, staring with horror at Ghirahim's drowsy, closing eyes.

"Hey..._Hey..._" I cupped his cheek with a hand. "Stay awake. You're not dying on me."

Ghirahim winced, shifting a bit in my arms. The action only made the bleeding grow more heavy.

"Hey...Careful now..." I pleaded, trying to support his limp head. "Look at me."

Ghirahim's head lolled lazily, blood trickling out of the corner of his mouth.

I turned his face so that his half-closed eyes met mine. "Deep breaths now, Ghira. Come on. You're strong. Just hold on a little longer. I've got you."

I shifted my grip on him a little, better exposing his wounds. The sight of them would make any sane person sick. So why didn't they bother me as much?

I placed my hands on the wound in his chest, covering the pulsating surface. What had been damaged? His heart? A lung? Regardless, I knew I had little time.

Concentrating hard, I began to heal the wound. At first I was afraid it wasn't working, but then a dim light sprouted from the wound. I continued the fight, convincing myself that I was strong enough to save him.

My head began to pound. My vision blurred. I felt nauseous.

My vision went dark. I shook my head, blinking my eyes open, terrified. I looked down. The wound seemed to have healed, or at least, it had improved. It looked less deep, like I had healed part of it...perhaps his heart. That's what I had been focusing on, anyway.

I noticed Ghirahim's breathing had grown so shallow that the only sign of life was the slight breath stirring the stray hairs hanging over the side of my face.

"No, you are _not _giving up on me," I snapped.

I moved on to the next stab wound. This one was in his stomach. Using the same process as before, I was able to semi-heal this one as well. I still didn't understand how my healing powers worked. After all, when I had tried to heal Malice's wound that one time, it had only become worse when I had quite halfway. What was the deciding factor?

Shaking hands covered shaking skin as I moved to the last wound, the other one on his chest. My God, Ghirahim had lost a lot of blood. How could he still be alive? Was he immortal after all?

Ghirahim's body grew limp. His breathing was ragged and uneven. He was giving up.

"No...No..."

My eyes stung. I was _not _losing him. Never. I would die first.

Desperate and afraid, I placed a gentle kiss on his forehead. "You're going to be okay. I _promise,_" I choked. His eyes fluttered open; his dark brown gaze met mine.

In a shaking voice, he responded, "My Remilt... Y-You must stop making p-promises that you c-can't keep."

Before I could react, he took my hand and squeezed it. Hard. I didn't mind, though. If it could help with his pain, then he could break my hand for all I cared.

I smiled at him, trying to hide my terror. "You're going to look at me. No, not at the wound. Look at my face. I'm gonna heal your chest, and you're just gonna look at me, alright?"

Without arguing, he squeezed down on my hand and stared into my eyes. Blood streamed out of the corner of his mouth. He didn't seem to care.

I began to hum quietly, slowly rocking him as I began to work on the last wound.

With one final burst of energy, I managed to close a large portion of the last laceration.

I tapped Ghirahim on the face gently. "Ghirahim?"

He didn't answer. He was unresponsive.

I bit my lip. "Come on, Ghir. Malice is gone. You're safe now. We've just gotta get you to the infirmary. Herb will finish patching you up. Please...just get up..."

Ghirahim's eyes were closed tight. He was out like a light, lying there in my arms.

Fighting back a wave of worry, I chuckled nervously. "Alright, fine. I'll carry you if I have to."

Without a second thought, I bent down, attempting to lift the dying demon.

"Oh Din, you're _heavy!_" I exclaimed.

_I've been here _way _too long. I'm starting to talk like a Hylian!_

Finally, after much effort and a stream of swear words that would make even the most brash of my peers blush, I managed to flip Ghirahim over, hoisting him onto my shoulders. I started forward, staggering from my load. I wanted to save my magic until I could fully heal his wounds, but after a few steps, I knew I wouldn't make it. It wasn't that Ghirahim was too heavy. He was a freaking beanpole. It's just...I didn't have enough upper body strength to carry a full grown demon across the manor.

Regardless of my disadvantage, I surprised myself by managing to carry him about halfway to the barracks. Then I'd had no choice but to use some of my valuable energy to warp.

The sight when we arrived, however, was not what I expected, or what I had been hoping for.

My jaw dropped as I took in the seen. Herb was always so careful to keep the hospital wing clean and orderly, but when we arrived, all the beds were in disarray. Everything was knocked over, torn, or damaged. Drawers were open all over the place, the contents removed from each.

I walked forward in shock. Something crunched under my feet. Looking down slowly, I felt a tremor run down my spine. Covering the ground, in scattered piles of dust, were crushed pieces of medicinal herb's.

"What happened in here..?" I muttered, setting Ghirahim carefully on a nearby cot. I looked around. "Herb?"

No one answered. Fear sparked inside me. Surely he couldn't be a traitor...

Could he?

"_Herb!" _I called again. "Ghirahim needs help... He's hurt bad!"

Still, nothing.

I mean, Herb would never betray Ghirahim. He was loyal. He had to be.

Regardless of what I told myself, I felt a flare of anger at the healer for not being there when I needed him most.

"_GODDAMIT HERB, WHERE ARE YOU?" _I shrieked, desperate. I couldn't do this on my own.

I looked around desperately, hoping to catch a glimpse of his blonde hair. As I raced across the infirmary, I felt my foot slide against something slippery on the floor. I looked down slowly, and a wave of nausea washed over me. The shredded leaves beneath my feet were drenched in a red liquid—blood.

I followed the trail of blood around the corner and in between two beds. What I saw made my stomach drop.

"_Herb?_" I gasped, my voice but a rasping whisper.

The healer was slumped over on the floor, leaning against the wall as he sat. My feet carried me and my stunned mind forward, and I knelt near him. His hand was resting in his lap, soaked in blood. As I shifted his arm to the side, I gasped.

"Oh, God, no. _Herb!_"

There was a large wound through his side, letting blood pool around him as it gaped open.

I tapped him on the shoulder, wondering if he was still conscious—or _alive._

The healer raised his head weakly, taking in a labored breath.

"Ocean...Fancy meeting you here..." he wheezed, attempting to give me that look of his.

"Herb...what happened to you?"

He took in another gasp of air before speaking, trying to disguise the fact that he was in worlds of pain.

"You know that...friend of yours...Malice...? T-Turns out...he's evil."

"He did this to you?"

"Aye. Guess he wanted to rid this place of its healer... But he went after the wrong person. Tell me...are you hurt?"

I shook my head. "No. Ghirahim is, though. He's hurt real bad."

Herb winced, but this time it seemed to be in empathy for the demon lord. I was stunned by how calm he seemed, what with his life bleeding out and all.

"It's going to be fine, though." I promised. "He's going to be fine. And so are you. Here... I think I can take care of this."

I laid my hand on his wound, feeling warm, sticky blood immediately soak my palm. For the second time that day, I began using my healing power.

Immediately, a searing pain rushed through me, kinda like when you try to lift something that's way too heavy for you to carry.

I continued anyway, not caring what that sensation might mean.

"Stop..." Herb's voice broke into my concentration, and I felt him push my hand away.

"Herb! Stop! If I don't heal this soon...you're going to die!"

"I know."

I was shocked into silence by his calm tone.

He took my hand. "You've always been such a caring person, Ocean."

My eyes swam, but I attempted to give him a bright smile. "My name's actually Marissa, Herb."

"MarissaHerb? Strange name."

I laughed quietly, despite everything that was going wrong. "Herb, stop fooling around. I've got to heal your wound."

Herb just kept a tight grip on my hand, as if stopping me from touching his wound. "No, you don't. What you _have _to do is save Ghirahim. I haven't kept him alive all these years just for you to waste your precious energy on me."

I shook my head, refusing to accept what he was trying to say. "No. I'm not letting you die. I have enough energy for the both of you."

"Oh, Ocean. I'm no fool. I can tell from your face that you are exhausted. You probably healed Ghirahim to the best of your ability and then decided to take him to me, didn't you?"

I refused to answer.

"I assume that means he is still gravely injured. You must save him. You don't have enough strength for all three of us."

"Three?"

"Yes. Kid, you've got to stop this. You need enough energy to keep yourself alive, too. You know what magic can do to you if you push yourself too hard."

"Well I don't care!" I shot back stubbornly.

"That's the problem, my dear friend." Herb said gently. "You mustn't continue giving yourself up for others. Selflessness is good, yes, but you must keep yourself alive. It is imperative you take care of yourself. You're part of a plan. You know this."

"I know." I said quietly.

"I know you think you're being selfless, but in reality, you are being selfish," Herb went on. "You use your powers on me...you burn yourself out...what will happen to Ghirahim? What will happen to everyone else you are destined to help? Because, Ocean, I know that's a lot of people. Looking at you, I can feel it. You're part of something bigger now. And healing me to spare yourself from a guilty conscience is selfish. You may still be just a kid, but you're in an adult world now. You must make adult decisions, including making choices for the greater good. I am not the greater good, and you know that."

"But..." My lower lip trembled. "I can't just _lose _you. I know this isn't the greater good, but maybe if I just try... I mean it might..." I took a deep breath. "I can't let you die, Herb."

"I know. And that's why I'm not going to let you save me."

I realized with a pang of sadness that the reason he was holding onto my hand so tight was to stop me from healing him.

"Stay strong, kid," he rasped. "Death isn't the worst thing, and it's not the last either. I'm on to a new adventure. One that you should wait a long time before following me on."

I couldn't think of anything to say, so he went on.

"I can tell what you're thinking right now. Knowing you, you're wondering why you lose everything that's important to you, why no one seems to stay in your life for long. But it's not you. You must stop assuming that you are a burden."

"But Herb... You're dying because I was too weak... You're dying because of _me!_"

"No. I'm dying _for _you. If you really want to help me... If you really want to _save _me...then you'll let me do this for you."

There were a million ways I wanted to respond to that, a million ways I wanted to tell him I wouldn't let him die, but I ended up saying only one thing:

"Okay," I managed.

There was silence, save for the sound of his ragged breathing.

"You'll take care of Ghirahim, won't you? Remember what you promised me."

I nodded numbly.

More silence.

"I want you to promise me something else, Smiley." Herb went on. His voice was more of bursts of strained rasps at this point.

I supported his head with my other hand. "Yeah?"

"No matter what happens... No matter what people may do to discourage you... No matter how terrible the world seems at times...I never want you to lose the joy in that big heart of yours. Don't let anyone extinguish your flame. Your smile is contagious, and the same goes for your laugh. Use that. I want you to make Ghirahim smile every day of his life, just as you have done for me. If anyone can do that for him, you can."

There came that lump in my throat. "Alright."

"Alright," he responded.

He seemed to relax. His breathing grew shallower. I kept a hold on his hand, holding it until he grew still.

Then a shiver passed through him. "See you around, Smiley."

His chest rose one last time before his life caught in his throat, and then it escaped through his lips in one final breath.

Herb was gone.

It took me a few moments for that to sink in. The room was so quiet then, that all I could hear was some type of woodpecker tapping against a tree outside, unaware of what had just happened inside.

I pulled Herb into my arms, burying my face against his shoulder. Then I stood up. There would be a time to grieve, and grieve I would, but before that, I had to finish what I'd started.

Swallowing back my anguish and ignoring the pang in my heart, I stood up, walking over to the cot on which I'd left Ghirahim.

Fear consumed me momentarily as I approached him. How long had I been with Herb? Could Ghirahim have passed in that time as well?

No. There was no way I could have lost them both.

But as I approached, I couldn't help feeling a surge of fear as I noticed that his face was a pale white. His chest didn't appear to be moving.

I rushed to his side, taking his hand. I checked for a pulse. Holding my breath, I had to wait until my heart stopped hammering in my ears before I could check for the dull thump that would signify a heartbeat. I let out a sigh of relief as I felt a faint—though present—fluttering pulse.

I bent over him, pushing a few strands of hair out of my face.

"Ghir?"

Still, no response.

I felt a sense of Déjà vu. We seemed to be repeating a scene from about a week ago. Ghirahim was in the hospital wing, inches from death, and I was the only one who could save him. Only this time, I didn't have Herb at my side to help me through it.

_No. Stop. Doing that to yourself will only distract you from the task at hand._

The voice in my head was right. I had to honor Herb's final request. No matter what it took.

Spurred by this new motivation, I began to try one last time to heal his wounds. The first repaired itself with little effort. That was a good sign, even if it was the smallest of the three.

Then I moved on to his next one. As soon as I began to summon the blue light of healing, everything hurt. And this time it was even more than ever before. It wasn't just, 'Oh my God, I'm going to _die_.' This time, it was 'Oh my, God I _am _going to die.'

But I didn't care.

A few excruciating seconds later, the wound was healed. At least, I assumed so, as there was only a small portion of my vision that hadn't faded. I felt dizzy. Why was I _dizzy_? I _never _get dizzy!

The last one, the one on his chest, was the largest and most severe of them all. Why I'd saved it for last, I didn't know for sure.

Ghirahim's breathing faltered. He was shaking. Tears stung my eyes. Everything I'd had to do in the past hour or so; carrying Ghirahim, healing him...letting Herb die...they had all been some of the hardest thing's I'd ever done. And yet, I hadn't finished.

I wanted to take away his pain. And to do that, I would have to face pain of my own. That seemed to be how healing worked. And if that was what had to happen, then so be it.

One last try. One last attempt. I was going to succeed this time. I was going to save him.

"Come on..." I muttered, feeling my vision fade to black. "Come _on_!"

All I could see was a flash of blue in the dizzying darkness. All I could feel was vertigo. Despite my effort to stay upright, I wouldn't know if I'd succeeded until I woke up.

* * *

Selflessness is a strange thing. I'd once thought that as I sacrificed my high school years to help Ghirahim, I was doing something good; something brave, something selfless.

But I was wrong.

I wasn't being selfless or noble. I was just following orders.

But I can tell you what's _really_ selfless: refusing a chance at life when it's right in front of you. That's selfless. Telling someone who can help you to save your friend instead. Yep, that's selfless.

Herb did all that. He may not fight or go into battle, but looking back on it, he may have been the bravest person I'd ever known.

He'd sacrificed himself so that Ghirahim could live. And, knowing that, I knew that if I ever had the chance to do the same...

I would. I knew that for sure. If it came down to that, if I had to give up my own life for Ghirahim's, I knew I would. Herb couldn't die for nothing. I would honor him every day I spent with Ghirahim, as well as in every time I saved someone.

I woke up the next day on the floor of the infirmary. At first, I was confused. Then the events of the previous day came back to me. I let my head drop to the floor. When my thoughts reached the death of Herb, I could barely stand it. It still hadn't sunk in that he was actually _dead_, that if I came here with a problem, I couldn't just have a semi-serious, semi-sarcastic conversation with him. What would we do without him?

For a moment, I just laid there. It was like time had stopped, like the world wouldn't spin anymore.

Herb was gone. He was dead. And there was nothing I could do about it.

"Ocean?" A voice broke into my thoughts. I managed to turn over, looking towards the sound of my name.

"Ocean..." A pale face leaned over the bed, staring at me in what looked like concern.

"Yeah?" I looked up at Ghirahim, my mind still numb.

"Are you alright?"

"Sure..." I muttered, getting up. "Why do you ask?"

The demon lord blinked. "I...I saw you on the floor and...I expected the worst.

"I'm fine."

For a moment, nothing was said. Then I hung my head, trying hard not to break down.

"Herb is dead." I choked out.

Ghirahim looked stunned for a moment. Then he bowed his head. "I'm sorry to hear it. He was a good demon."

Good demon. That sounded like an oxymoron.

"You're alive." I said stupidly, changing the subject.

"So I am." Ghirahim gestured to the scabs on his chest. "I assume this is your handiwork?"

"I guess it is."

Suddenly, thinking about the last night's events, a tidal wave of emotion crashed over me.

I found myself sitting beside him, pulling him into my arms.

"I am _so sorry,_" I gasped. "T-This is all my fault. I shouldn't have let him in without checking for weapons. I..."

Ghirahim gently pressed a finger to my lips. "Hush, Little Remlit...this is not your fault. Not completely."

"Not completely?"

Ghirahim sighed. "I must admit...I was...disappointed, to say the least, when I found out you had lied to me about your identity. Was everything he told me true?"

I hesitated. "Yes. Well...not everything. I promise you, I'm not just staying here because Hylia is forcing me to. I care about you. I swear, I really do."

Ghirahim was quiet for a while. I laid down beside him, looking straight up. I could feel the warmth of his side pressing against my skin through the tear in my uniform.

"I'm sorry." I repeated.

Ghirahim let out a weary sigh. "Look...Mar—do people call you Mar?"

I shook my head. "No. But I like that."

The noble nodded. "I've been thinking, and to my surprise, it seems I'm not as angry with you as I expected.

"Really?"

"Yes. Now...after everything that has happened, don't you think I deserve to know the truth?"

"The truth?" My voice came out as more like a squeak. I'll admit, it was kind of scaring me how calm he seemed for someone who had nearly died.

"Yes. That is all I ask."

I let out a sigh. Maybe he was right. Maybe it was time someone knew everything. And I meant _everything._ Not just the bits and pieces I'd chosen to tell Malice, Zelda, and Brooke.

I adjusted my position so that I was more comfortable, leaning against him slightly. I realized I was enjoying everything about his presence. The sound of his breathing. The touch of his skin. His familiar scent. I knew this was someone I could trust.

"Alright. Let me tell you a story about someone named Marissa, from a place called Minnesota, on a planet called Earth..."

* * *

**So...um...**

**Yes, I killed off a character. But his death was for a purpose. **

**I don't have much to say...**

**Like always, please leave a review! I can't believe we are so far along! **

**Enjoy your free time while it lasts.**

**~Catwhiskers24~**


	60. Chapter 58: The Skyloftian From Earth

**First off, let me apologize for my absence. And I have a few lame excuses. **

**1\. Homework sucks**

**2\. I've been busy for the past few Fridays, which usually is when I get a majority of the chapter done.**

**3\. HOMEWORK SUCKS**

**Believe me, I have other excuses if you want them. But I'm not here to make excuses. I'm here to update.**

**I don't believe anyone asked a specific question related to the story, at least that I can remember, so if you did have one, please ask again and give me grief.**

**The Shy Potato: Glad someone got it. I had no clue if anyone would figure out the meaning of his name. And its strangely satisfying to me that my story distracted you from Spanish. I don't know why though.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own LOZ, just my OC's, plot twists, cliffhangers, and alternate plotline.**

* * *

**Marissa's POV**

I put my arm behind Ghirahim's neck for support as he took a slow drink of water. Then, taking the glass from his weak grasp, I used a damp washcloth to wipe the blood from his hands and face. He stayed completely still as I did this, his demeanor calm...and yet still tense.

Wordlessly, I peeled the ruined material of his jumpsuit from his skin, exposing the scabs on his chest. While a scar or two would likely be unavoidable, I still wanted to make sure his wounds healed properly. Luckily, it seemed I'd mostly repaired his internal damage, so it was just a matter of preventing the scabs from breaking open before he could be fully healed.

Knowing that trying to use my magic was just _asking _for trouble, I slowly removed a roll of bandages that had remained untouched by Malice, and I wrapped each wound up tight.

Ghirahim said nothing as I did this. He just watched the movement of my hands, shifting his arms or leaning forward when it was necessary for my task.

After I finished binding the last wound, he cleared his throat.

"If you are quite finished...would you please continue with your story?"

"Huh?" I glanced up at him. "Uh...yeah..."

There was silence, then. Ghirahim waited expectantly. I sat down beside him. Then, after a minute of internal battling in my mind, and nearly choking on all the words stuck in my throat, I stood up.

Ghirahim let out a sigh. "How long are you going to make me wait? Haven't you lied to me long enough?"

I winced, his harsh words reminding me of the bitterness he must still be feeling.

He stared at me, his gaze weary. "Why won't you tell me who you are?"

This time, his words weren't aggressive. They weren't venomous, or resentful, or impatient. They were just..._exhausted._

"Look...Ghir...I want to explain all of this to you... I just don't know where to start."

"Well..." He considered my problem for a moment. "How about... How about you start from the beginning?"

"Alright," I agreed. "I first came to this world when I was—"

Ghirahim held up a hand. "No. I don't mean the beginning of your journey here. I mean the beginning of..._you_."

"Oh..." I bit my lip. "What would you like to know?"

"Anything." He sat up gingerly, wincing slightly as he did so. "I know almost nothing about you. You said you'd tell me who you are. So explain. Start from the beginning. The _real _beginning."

I sat down next to him, hugging my legs to my chest. "Well...I grew up in a city. It's...well...I wouldn't call it a small town, and yet...it's not a big city either. Still, there's a large number of people who live there. And when there are so many people in the mere _town_ where you live... Well... All I know is that growing up...I never thought of myself as..._special._

"I don't have a ton of memories from early on. Not specific ones, anyway. I remember going to the zoo a lot. It was a big zoo, had lots of animals. There are the memories of meandering around the town with my family, of playing sports, of facing the world... There are memories of facing pain and learning to endure it... and there's going to school. Now _that _was an adventure..."

For the next...oh...I don't know _how _long, I told Ghirahim everything. Just about everything, that is. Some things I went into more depth than others. I tried to avoid overwhelming him with talk of the technology of my dimension, but I knew that to understand our world, he'd have to know there's some pretty advanced tech there.

I have no idea how many minutes—or hours—passed as I told him about everything that I thought he needed to know. Finally, I came to the part where I entered this world and was assigned the task of protecting him.

As I explained everything the goddess had told me, Ghirahim looked away. Finally, when I had finished, he spoke up.

"So Malice really was telling the truth about one thing?"

"What?"

"You were only staying here to protect me because a goddess was forcing you to?"

"No! Not at all!" I protested. "Alright, so maybe at first I was staying because Hylia wanted me to protect you, but then...then I got to know you. And while we may fight, and while we may constantly drive each other insane, I've found that there's a part of me that cares about you too much to ever leave you. Back there...when Malice was attacking you..." I bit my lip. "It was like...like some twisted nightmare. I saw you in pain and I nearly lost it. Seeing you get attacked like that just...I mean...inside I was just..." I trailed off.

I moved closer to him, carefully resting my head against his shoulder. "I care about you more than I ever imagined I could. Sure, maybe we used to be enemies, and I know I've said things to you...things that were meant to hurt you. But after all this time...I look at you...and I can't imagine my life without you in it.

Ghirahim did not move or respond at first. Then he let out a heavy sigh.

"Oh, my Little Remlit..." He slowly ran his fingers through my hair, his gentle hands pushing a lock of hair out of my face.

We sat like that for a while, me with my head resting on his shoulder, and him with his fingers tangled in my hair, of which he eventually pulled away, wrapping his arm around my shoulders.

"You miss your home, don't you?" Ghirahim asked eventually, breaking the silence that had fallen upon us.

I blinked, startled at first by his question. "Yeah... I mean...who wouldn't? There were times when I hated living there... Times when I wished I could experience more action, but yeah...yeah I miss it a lot.

Another pause.

And then...

"Would you like to go back?"

This question surprised twice as much as the first. I slowly turned to look at him.

"What did you just say?"

Ghirahim sat up, taking a deep breath. "You and I both know that you're more homesick than you've let on."

"Homesick? _Pfft_. I have no idea what you're talking about."

Even so... I knew I was lying—both to him and to myself. When I'd been telling Ghirahim such vivid details about where I'd grown up... it had surprised me how clearly I could remember some things that had happened so long ago, how clearly I could picture the streets of my neighborhood and the interior of my school. Heck...looking back, I could easily create a mental image of every school I'd ever went to. If I closed my eyes, it was like nothing had changed. I could easily send my mind back to the times of elementary school, where I would wander through the halls, trying to lose myself as the reality of the world began to sink in. And then again in middle school, when I'd walked through every inch of those halls, doing everything I could to find myself again. I could easily imagine the inside of all my old classrooms, could remember how they _smelled._

Yes...it seemed I remembered more than I thought I did. And I missed everything more than I ever thought I could. When telling Ghirahim various things about my life, I had avoided mentioning names. Especially those of my friends. Yes, they were big parts of my life. Maybe the biggest. But I didn't mention their names, and I suddenly realized why. Each name carried memories of that person, and memories made me nostalgic, and nostalgia made me homesick. That's when I realized how much I missed everyone.

And there was one other thing: I had been gone for...I didn't even _know _anymore. A month at least; maybe more than that. I'd lost track of time. But still...being gone for a month...A _month._ That may not seem like a lot, but when you're in a big high school, and you're constantly meeting new people, it might not be the hardest thing to replace a friend who had disappeared with a new one. One who was present. One who still existed.

I looked down at me feet. In my middle school experience at least, a lot could happen in a month. You could talk to someone every singe day in a class for an entire semester, but one month after that class ends, you go from affectionately harassing each other in the hallway to a smile. Then a smile turns into a simple, discreet nod, and then a nod becomes a flitting moment of eye contact. A few weeks later, and then they don't spare you a second glance. That hurt. A lot.

The fact was...I really wasn't anything special. And while it seemed that the friends I'd had in high school were more solid than any former ones, I still could never rest. I never stopped trying to earn their friendship.

Trust me when I say that

having this anxiety was exhausting and nerve-wracking. And now...having been gone for an entire _month, _I was terrified that half of the names I wanted to mention to Ghirahim would have already forgotten me.

I pursed my lips, refusing to betray the emotions raging around inside my head.

"I guess I might be a _bit _homesick," I finally admitted.

Without meeting my eyes, Ghirahim repeated his question. "Would you like to go back?"

I hesitated for a long time before answering. Of course I wanted to go back, but I didn't want to abandon my friend in his time of need either. And yet...it was probably time that I went home to rest the minds of my parents, who were probably worried sick. After all, they had no idea where their only daughter was.

"Why are you doing this?" I asked, my voice cracking.

"Because..." Ghirahim dropped his head. "If Demise can let go so easily...then so can I."

"Oh Ghirahim..." I rested my hand on his shoulder. "There's a difference between the relationship you had with him and the one you have with me. Namely the fact that this one isn't terrible."

"But..." Ghirahim's voice broke. "He...He was like a..."

He trailed off as I pulled him into another tight hug. "Please...stop thinking about Demise. You might not agree with me now...but the relationship you had was unhealthy. You've got to face the fact that he never cared about you. It was all an act. He only ever thought of you as his sword. He didn't deserve a second of your loyalty."

Ghirahim pressed his face into my shoulder, shaking. I held him tighter, so close that I could feel his heart beat against my chest. I rocked him slowly, knowing how hard it must be for him to accept the fact that his master had rejected him after so many years of loyal service. What had just happened was one of the hardest things to deal with:

Being replaced.

I knew that no matter what I said, it would take a long time for him to get over this. But until then, I knew I had to be there for him. After all, he'd just lost the one person he'd thought he could always count on. Maybe it was time he had someone new at his side.

Ghirahim suddenly pulled away, turning his face towards the wall.

"Ghir?"

He took a long, shaking breath. "I am thirsty. Would you get me another glass of water?"

Something about his voice seemed different. I just couldn't tell what. After all, I'd never seen him like this. He was so open with his emotions. So honest. So vulnerable.

I delicately touched my fingers to his forearm. "Of course. I'll be right back."

* * *

**Ghirahim's POV**

I waited until the heavy wooden door of the infirmary clicked shut before I dared to move my face. My eyes were burning. There was pain. So much pain. But it wasn't from the wounds.

After all these years... After days of agony and effort to bring Demise back... He gave up on me. Me! His own adopted son!  
I felt my hands clench, and without my gloves, I my nails dug into the skin on my palm. But I ignored the pain, tightening my fists. No...I did not ignore the pain. I _relished it._

I let out a breath of relief. Something about the sharp, cutting sting of the pain seemed to release a portion of my anguish. And no, anguish was _not _an overstatement. Not even close.

After all, everything I had spent my life working towards had just crumbled before my eyes. My master wanted me _dead. _He had sent Malice, a pathetic underling, to replace me.

Through the pain...there was a portion of my mind that wished that the girl had left me to die. Yes, she had good intentions. But from now on I'd have to live with the fact that I wasn't good enough for the sole purpose of my life.

All those years of having no one, I had looked forward to the time that Demise would look me in the eye and tell me I had done well. Granted, the chances of that had always been low. But that hadn't stopped me from hoping that maybe, just maybe, one day he would appreciate me.

Apparently that would never happen.

I felt a warm, salty liquid fill my eyes, but I clenched my fists harder, determined to suppress it. I could not show weakness. Not now. Not when what I had to do next would require strength.

Yes, I did know exactly what I had to do next. I had a plan, and I wasn't going to change it because of the incident. I still had to go through with it. If I was going to rid myself of all this grief and anger, I should do it on someone who actually deserves it.

And that's where the girl's map came in.

Of course, she would be furious with me if I did what I was planning to do. However, after everything that had happened, I couldn't care less. And it wasn't like she could do anything about it. I would make sure she wasn't around when I executed my plan—and in turn, the people involved in it.

Absentmindedly I summoned a red dagger. I held the razor-sharp object in my hands, turning it over with my fingers. I tapped the point once, barely even touching the metal. Immediately, a steady line of blood leaked out of the small puncture, trailing down my finger. Red-hot, stinging pain followed just after.

It was funny to me, how the smallest, most insignificant seeming wounds were often the most agonizing. It was stranger still, that large wounds seemed to sometimes hurt less. I suppose it just depended on the depth. As if some forms of pain were simply decoys for other forms; facades to distract others from true weakness.

The profound thought left me reeling. Such a concept seemed near enigmatic in itself. Perhaps this was the reason that I had so often craved physical pain above any other form. Perhaps it was not a decoy for others. Perhaps in my case, it was for myself.

The fact was, I now felt hollow inside. I wanted to feel something. And if I couldn't do that, I wanted to feel nothing at all.

I examined the knife once again. After all these years, I'd always had a deadly weapon at my fingertips. Through all my years of suffering and misery, I'd always had a quick escape available. It was a mystery to me how I didn't realize that earlier. Or maybe I did realize it, I just never acknowledged it. Because I never could give up. I always had a higher responsibility, a responsibility to the king who had given me a second chance. But now...there was nothing depending on me.

I looked from the blood back to the tip of the knife. Perhaps I had always known the power of this little knife. Had I never looked at that blade and imagined how quickly the sharp object could end it all? A quick blow to the jugular and everything would fade within seconds. The grief, the loneliness, the pain. All gone.

How tempting it was, just then, as I held the point in front of my throat, to shove that blade forward. And for some reason, there was nothing stopping me this time. After all, refusing would only be cowardice.

I bit down hard, thinking of the scene that would surely take place as soon as the girl got back. The unmoving shape of my body, the blade that would be just visible in my cold fingers, the puddle of crimson that never seemed to leave the floor, that never would.

Would she scream? Would she even cry a little?

Maybe. Maybe not.

Because if the one person who I'd always thought I was special to could just order my death, then whose to say the care of the girl was even real? Yes, I could trust that she wouldn't do anything against me, but did I really have reason to believe it was because of what she claimed?

I was shaken, to say the least, by what Demise had done.

I closed my eyes, tightening my grip on the knife. It was time to choose.

* * *

**Marissa's POV**

I held the glass of water delicately in my hands. I'll admit, I was a bit worried about Ghirahim. And not just because of his injuries.

Back there, in the infirmary, he had seemed strange somehow. And not his usual flamboyant, borderline insane strange. It was quite the opposite, actually. I just hoped I hadn't left him waiting too long.

When I stepped into the infirmary, I noticed that Ghirahim was sitting quite still. I moved a little faster, desperately praying that nothing had happened.

"Ghirahim?"

He didn't move or answer. As I drew closer, I noticed that his eyes were fixed on something he held in his hands. It was one of his daggers.

"Ghirahim, what are you doing?"

"I'm a coward," he rasped.

"What do you mean?"

He held the knife so that the point was against his throat, and I started in shock.

"Don't worry. I've proven to myself that I do not have the courage to do it," he assured me calmly.

I felt a lump build in my throat and I reached forward, dropping the glass of water and grabbing the hilt of his blade. He refused to let go, and suddenly we were fighting over the knife.

"Let go!" I exclaimed.

"No! I can't!"

"Yes you can!"

"No! I can't...I can't..."

I stopped fighting, and he did the same. "You can't _what?"_

"I can't do this anymore," he blurted out, his voice cracking. As soon as the words had left his mouth, he let go of the dagger, and it fell from my fingers, disappearing into red diamonds upon contact with the floor.

He immediately turned away. I put a hand on his shoulder.

"Ghir..." I murmured. "Ghir, look at me."

He didn't move, so I gently put a hand on his chin, turning his face towards me. His eyes were watery. Why wouldn't they be? After all, he had been moments from ending his life. It didn't matter how confident and uncaring he normally was. He had been driven to a point where he'd rather die than live. Even he had found his breaking point.

Slowly, and tenderly, I wiped the tears from his eyes with the tip of my thumb.

He sniffed. "I..." he rasped.

"Shh..." I rubbed my thumb against his cheek. "It's okay. You're okay now."

He was as stiff as a board, and I took his hands. He clenched his fists, and I held on to his wrists.

"You know Ghirahim..." I began, squeezing his arms. "You might just be the toughest person I know. But it's alright to cry—even the most stoic people do sometimes. But you're not giving up on me, alright? Demise is an idiot. He just made the biggest mistake of his life."

Ghirahim said nothing to this; he stared straight forward blankly.

I rested my hands on his shoulders. "Why did you want to end your life?"

He let out a harsh bout of laughter. "Why? Why did I want to end my life? The same reason I relish pain. The same reason I push people away. I feel _nothing. _Don't you understand that? I've been numb for as long as I can remember. And when I _do _feel something...it's terrifying. So I just push it down and forget about it. It's why I react so dramatically to everything. Sometimes, I _want _to feel something, but I don't. Or what I do feel is nothing I want other people to know about. So I fake it. I've spent my entire life trying to trick myself into thinking that I..."

He trailed off.

I rubbed his shoulders comfortingly. "We all have our masks, Ghir. Sometimes they're so convincing that we find ourselves unable to tell the difference between our mask and ourselves, unable to take it off. Sometimes we trick ourselves even more than everyone else. And sometimes...sometimes we just have to take it off."

"And what would that achieve?" Ghirahim demanded. "All that would show my people is that I'm weak. So weak that my own master rejected me. After all...I'm just a discarded tool. A weapon without a knight to wield it. A simple trinket."

"That's not true," I promise. "You're a living, breathing person—no matter what Demise has told you otherwise."

Ghirahim looked just below my eyes. "Even if that were true...what am I good for now?"

"Anything you want. There's a world of possibilities when you stop limiting yourself to the wishes of one person."

Ghirahim considered this for a moment. Then he sighed. "You were right about Demise after all."

"Yeah well..." I lowered my head. "Even a broken clock is right twice a day. I wouldn't..."

I broke off as he began to shake. I wrapped my arms around his slim frame once again, holding him close. I rubbed my hand between his shoulder blades, and he let out a quiet sob. And then the sobs grew harder as he stopped holding back, and probably a century's worth of tears flooded forth. And this time they weren't fake, exhaustion-induced tears like last time. They were real.

Funny how that works. He was proud and unbreakable one moment, and the next he would fall to pieces. One moment he was confident, putting on a slew of emotions, and the next...they were all gone, proving that behind his big Broadway Show of emotions, there was just a boy who'd been hurt one too many times. That's how he was now. It was like...he always had this guard up. A wall. And somehow, I'd found a way to climb it.

Some people might find it exhausting to deal with someone like Ghirahim, who was bipolar as hell, but I seemed to have a separate supply of patience just for him. I'd already hugged him like three times today, and I would do it a dozen more times if I had to. It wasn't tedious. I enjoyed being there for him. I could feel his shoulders shake as he sobbed his frustration and grief into my shoulder, his arms around me, holding me tight. All I could think about was how I enjoyed his warmth, and the way his diaphragm moved up and down as he breathed, shifting against me with its rhythm. And, of course, the musical beat of his heart as it pressed against me.

But of all this, there was one thing I loved most—he was alive. Broken and miserable, but alive. And I would make sure he stayed that way. I would keep his heart beating and his lungs breathing, no matter what it took. I would guide him back to his happiness; I would fix him.

"I'm sorry about your friend." Ghirahim eventually said, his voice muffled by my shoulder.

"What?" I blinked. "Oh. Malice."

Oh, Malice. Where did I go wrong with him? How had I lost _him_, my closest friend? Somewhere along the way, through the bitterness and regret, I'd lost the one who'd been there for me from the first day I'd been in the manor. And that was one more thing to grieve for, as much as I would grieve for Herb. Al was dead, and Malice was lost to me.

Eventually, Ghirahim fell asleep in my arms. I laid his head gently on the pillow, standing up as quiet as I could, so as not to wake him.

There was something else I had to do. There was one friend I had to put to rest forever.

* * *

We buried Herb outside the infirmary. I knew he'd want to be there rather than in the traditional cemetery.

I could remember sitting out there with Herb once, a while back. He would lean his back against the exterior wall of his office, breathing in the fresh air. The spot where he always sat, a small patch of earth near a clump of herbs, was always half covered with the shade of the roof, and half bathed in sunlight. But that wasn't the only reason he loved his spot.

_"Stare straight forward, kid. See that spot on the horizon, where the trees are just split apart enough for you to see the sky? This is the only place with such an angle. Anywhere else and the treeline is too close together. And I'll tell you, come sunlight, when the sky is filled with a multitude of colors, all those golden oranges and pinks and purples...well...there's just something...magical about that. I could sit here forever in moments of such color. You look at the way the sun sets behind those trees, filling this dark world with such lights, and somehow, you're filled with hope. Like if there can be such beauty in a place like this, then maybe... maybe one day the entire sky will fill with the colors of that horizon. And I'll tell you, kid, should a day end like that...then maybe the next one won't be too bad at all."_

I got a lump in my throat just thinking about it. It wasn't fair that his life had been cut so short. But, if Herb were still here, I knew he would roll his eyes and tell me to stop my sniffling, that life is never fair. But he'd also tell me that there were moments that made it worth living.

I had a feeling that those peaceful sunsets were some of those moments, so I thought I'd try to grant his wish. We held his funeral at sunset, where the sky was more beautiful than ever, and I took that as a sign that what Herb had said was true. That things would get better. That tomorrow might not be so bad after all.  
His funeral was barely even a funeral. It was a short, small service. I tried to keep it from being too emotional. Words were said for him, but no one's eulogy could be too sappy. I thought Herb would like it that way.

Shortly after the funeral, I found myself heading back home. I know that seems like it would be a terrible idea, but Ghirahim practically begged me to go back. It would just be for a few days, of course, and he'd made me realize how homesick I really was. So after making Ghirahim promise that he would be okay while I was gone, I teleported into Faron Woods, found a bird statue, and made my way back up to the sky. I wanted to go visit my friends on the island, but I knew I should visit my family first.

The portal seemed foreign and strange after being away from it for so long, and I nearly forgot to hold my breath as I jumped into the glowing pool.

Stranger still was it to find myself standing on the sidewalk in the middle of my neighborhood. Everything was just as I left it. Life went on without me. Nothing had changed. Nothing but me.

I realized that I was tensed up as I began heading back. All the familiar sights and sounds and smells brought back a slew of memories. The sound of someone mowing their lawn. The smell of a barbecue. Seeing children playing in their yards and Ms. Jacobs walking her dog.

I felt something in my adventure pouch vibrate. Furrowing my brow, I reached into my bag, retrieving my iPhone. As I held the device, it vibrated again, receiving every message that had been sent to it in the past few months.

I opened up the home screen, clicking on _Messages._ I had so many unread messages that the little red circle had given up keeping track. Most of my friends had texted me at least once. And then there was Allison, who'd texted me over 200 times. Some of these texts included:

_Yo Mar, where u at?  
_

_Y did u miss school wtf?_

_Answer me you f****** moron._

_Hello?_

_Derek got hit by a softball today lmao_

_Where have you been? I say, and I quote, "Idjit."_

_Y WONT U ANSWER ME_

_marissa_

_Marissa_

_MARISSA! I'm going to murder you once you get back!_

Reading through the rest of them, it appeared that she had gotten into three fights with my unresponsive phone, broken our friendship twice, and then apologized both times.

_Only Allison, _I thought. She was the only friend who was so loyal that she would threaten to kill me if I didn't let her know I was okay.

Of course, several were texts from my parents, who had sent them despite knowing that I wouldn't receive them. Each message grew gradually more frantic. I only had to read a few before I was sprinting instead of walking. They were worried. _Very _worried.

When I reached my porch, I took the steps slowly. I stood outside my door, hesitating. Who knew what kind of trouble I would be in? Would they have gotten the authorities involved? Well, of course they would have. What would we tell them? And what would I tell my classmates?

I blocked all these thoughts from my mind, raised a fist, took a deep breath, and then knocked.

* * *

**So yeah, parts of that got sappy. Herb would disapprove. I have to admit, I kind of got a little emotional when I wrote about burying him. I have no clue why. I almost teared up at a gum commercial today. What is happening to me?**

**And I know many of you are not a fan of seeing Ghirahim like this, that his character is not the type to cry. But my reasoning is that the Ghirahim in the game is different than the one in the story. The one in this story has been through much more, and he feels almost defeated. The point if writing this was to show another potential side of his personality. I thought I'd test my writing to see if I could realistically write him breaking down. And everyone, including him, has a breaking point...**

**So, this weekend is a four day weekend, meaning I will hopefully have more time to work. This was the second to last chapter of this book. Next is A Different Path: The Defender. Last chapter will hopefully come at you next weekend, and I'll tell you the game plan then. Until then, I would appreciate if you guys gave me some feedback on how the story is going so far. Like a review of A Different Path: The Servant overall, so I know what's going well and what's not going so well. If you could do this, I would be much obliged.**

**Have a wonderful week,**

**~CatWhiskers24~**


	61. Chapter 59: Conflict Mediation

**Hey...I'm finally back.**

**So, to begin, I'd just again like to apologize for how long it's been taking me to update. Most times it's just been me not taking advantage of my time, but this week I actually have an excuse that isn't pathetic.**

**See, I have this friend. I met him last year and since then we've become good friends. He's like brother to me, and our relationship is completely platonic. He means a lot to me, and about a month ago he got a girlfriend. She lives out of state and on the one occasion that i met her she seemed really sweet. But then my friend came to me with problems. She can be really...how shall I put this...bipolar. Maybe even more than Ghirahim. I tried to support their relationship, but I ended up making her hate me through a miscommunication, and the two of them have tried to break up on several occasions, but my friend just can't let her go and he keeps staying with this girl. Now, I don't know a ton about relationships, but I know a bad one when I see one. Their relationship is like Michael and Jan's almost if you've ever seen the office. Long story short, though, she hated me so much that she got him to hate me, and this past weekend he proudly told me that they agreed that I was a cunt after I tagged him in a post on instagram that was about how dramatic we've been but he took it as an attack on her and they both blocked me from instagram, as well as he told me to delete his number and insulted me and many of my friends. Like I said, he was like a brother to me and he now hates my guts because of her. Needless to say I was upset and...this week has been rough. Over the past few weeks he'd been seeking counseling from me and, it always seemed like he contacted me when I finally had time to write. **

**So there you have it, a long chunk of text. That's what's been going on. Life happens. Life can be a bitch. But I've landed on my feet and I decided I owed it to you to get the last chapter of this book up, so here it goes.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own LOZ or any of its characters, just my OC's, cliffhangers, plot twists, and alternate story line.**

* * *

**Marissa's POV**

Let me tell you a little something about logic. Or, at least, _my _logic.

A demon kidnapping me and keeping me prisoner in his manor? Not that bad. I can deal with that. It's just another adventure.

Now, let's just back up a little bit. So, being held captive? It seems like my main concern should be getting myself out of there alive, right?

In reality, no, that was never the main concern. No matter how bad—or how _good—_things got, the one thing that was always lingering at the back of my mind was how much trouble I would be in back home by the time I returned to my dimension. And I don't mean with my parents. Sure, there would be some explaining to do—a lot of explaining, at that—but I also knew how much I would be missed socially, like at school. I mean, just missing one freaking day of high school was like missing an entire unit of middle school, it seemed. How much work would I have to do to catch up and get back my 4.0 GPA? I was terrified that I had spent all that time on homework for the past ten years just to have my transcript ruined. I mean, it wasn't like I _enjoyed _staying inside and doing homework. No one does. Everyone would rather be out with their friends, getting into trouble. But not everyone ends up a doctor or engineer. But then...not everyone has their own personal portal leading to a fantastical, near-imaginary world.

Even still, I knew I had a lot of work ahead of me, as well as a lot of explaining. What was I supposed to say when everyone asked where I'd been for all this time?

Surprisingly enough, we found a way to explain. As it turns out, my parents care a lot about my education. So much that they called the attendance office and told them my sudden disappearance was not supposed to be so sudden, that they had been planning to send me to Scotland to take care of my sickly Uncle Graham and his family for a while now. Yes, the story had raised some brows, but they did not question my parents, who were not common liars. They explained that I had neglected to tell my teachers about my planned trip, even though my mom had "specifically told her daughter to let the staff know," and that I'd been "too shy to discuss the matter."

I could tell that the chastising my parents had received for not calling in themselves had been agonizing for them, but we managed to pull it off. As for explaining to my friends, let's just say that for a girl teetering between being shy and outgoing, it was both torture and kind of sweet to have everyone's eyes on me as I walked into the school for what turned out to be two weeks in Earth time. I found that strange. After all, I'd estimate that I'd been at Ghirahim's manor for only a month or two. I had thought that the time ratio was one Earth minute to one Hyrule hour, but that would mean I'd have been gone for one full day at most. Maybe the ratio of time between the two worlds wasn't that simple.

As it turns out, it's kind of _hard _to tell people about your trip to Europe when you've never even left America. When they asked about what it was like there I talked about the green grass and the hills...and the bagpipes. I talked a lot about bagpipes. Oh, and Stonehenge. As far as my classmates were concerned, I had lived like ten minutes away from it.

Catching up on my homework would be...somewhat survivable. And this time I'm, not being dramatic when I say 'survivable.' I'd calculated somewhere between a 25% to a 50% chance that I'd be dead within a week. And that was just thinking about the Amstuds. As for the rest... Yeah, I was pretty much doomed.

On the bright side, explaining where I'd been to my parents wasn't that bad. Okay, that's my biggest lie yet. Truth be told, I'm pretty sure that Hylia messed with my parents' minds or something when they'd given me 'permission' to lead my duel life, because they were seriously stunned with their decision.

It was hard to think of a convincing lie for that as well. After all, if I said that being away for so long was just situation normal for adventuring with Link, I would just make things more difficult. For starters, they would be nervous about our journey's beginning, and they'd be mad that I hadn't let them know ahead of time that we'd be gone. And there'd be no right answer if they should ask whether or not we'd completed our quest. If I said no, then they wouldn't let me go back, as they'd be worried that I wouldn't come back for another two weeks—or longer. And yet, saying that our adventure _was _over would mean there was no real reason for me to go back.

In the end, I found myself telling the truth. I didn't go into a ton of detail—especially when it came to the more dangerous, awkward situations we'd been in—but I did explain that I'd been captured by Ghirahim.

It was always strange to explain my adventures to my parents. It must sound preposterous to them, hearing their daughter talk about living in the world of a _video game, _and then talk about the characters as if they were real people. I mean, most parents don't have to hear about their kids getting into perilous situations with _animated characters. _So naturally, I never blamed them for seeming skeptical, looking at me with concern. Because even after all the evidence I'd given them, I'd doubt me, too. I would think I was crazy. And maybe I am.

But on the off chance that I was sane, I knew that maybe the truth was best. Maybe they'd understand. Maybe everything would be okay.

Or...maybe not.

"So you're telling me this...Ghirahim...that _perverted gay man _from your _video game_ captured you and held you hostage for all this time?" My mother scoffed.

"I wouldn't say a _man..._" Isaac chimed in. "I mean...have you seen how he dresses?"

"Shut up!" I snapped at him. "And he's not _gay, _mom. He's just...eccentric. Metrosexual."

My mom gave me strange look. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It's like a straight guy who dresses and acts like a flamboyant gay guy. It's a thing. And anyway, I shouldn't have to defend his sexuality. Being gay has nothing to do with this."

"But this very concerning," my father explained gently. "I don't want my daughter anywhere near that..._thing._"

"That 'thing' saved my life!" I shot back.

All three of my family members were quiet at that point.

Then my dad spoke up. "And how did he do that?"

"Well, there was this one time when a volcano erupted, and he carried me to safety. And there was this other time when a bunch of bokoblins were attacking me, and he fought them all off to protect me. Call me crazy, but I don't think he's so bad after all. He's just misunderstood."

"So you're saying he's a perfectly good person?" my dad challenged, leaning against the wall. "You're saying he's never done anything cruel to you?"

"I never said that..." I trailed off. "Look...he's just learning to find his place. He was raised to be cruel but he's just now choosing his own path."

"Or that's what he _wants _you to think," Isaac pointed out.

I looked from my brother to my father to my mother, feeling weak as I saw the same appalled, confused look on all of their faces, as if wondering why they'd been stuck with me as a daughter. I knew they didn't like anything out of the ordinary and this must just be too...too _weird_.

"Marissa..." my father began, his voice suddenly weary. "You can play as him in Hyrule Warriors all you want, but I don't think you realize how serious it is that you're being exposed to this..._creature."_

"But Dad—"

"I'm not arguing about this, Marissa. He is a _demon_. And you of all people, being a Christian, should know that demons are the personification of evil. I know the media and Hollywood has a habit of romanticizing death and evil and pain... But this is real life. And the bible says that demons are eternally damned. Besides, they're too proud to try to redeem themselves. Evil is in their nature."

I sighed. "You know, Dad, I've been spending time around Ghirahim and other demons for a while now. And I don't think that's entirely true. I think, at least in this other realm, demons are less like evil spirits and more like a species descended from an evil deity. A dog born a dog, raised by dogs, and treated like a dog will act like a dog, right? But what if it's a dog raised by wolves, or raised by _cats _even? Will it still act like a dog? I mean...will it _completely _actlike a dog? Or will the other species imprint on it? Sure, instinct largely affects the way an animal acts, but an entirely different factor is how it is raised. A dog taught to be a dog will act like a dog because that's all it knows. But a dog raised by a cat might act like a cat—if only just a little—because that's all it knows. So, with the same logic, a child born to a malicious parent is bound to act malicious right? But is it because they were _born _malicious, or is it because that's all they know? If it's the latter, which I suspect it is, then who's to say that a demon's nature cannot be changed as well?"

My dad took a deep breath, setting his hands on his hips. "Marissa, you're changing the subject. That's hardly relevant. Demons are the embodiment of evil. And under no circumstances do I want you _spending time _with one of them."

"Well..." I bit my lip. "Which do you think is better? A fallen angel or a risen demon?"

"I think," he said, "that fallen angels are fallen for a reason, and there is no such thing as a 'risen demon.' End of discussion. You are not going back there, and I'm not changing my mind."

"But Dad, he _needs _me!" I protested, desperate at this point. I felt so frustrated, so powerless. I never thought that after returning, my parents wouldn't let me go back

"No, that's what he _wants_ you to think. You're being manipulated. I mean, just _listen _to yourself. You're talking about a bizarre, perverted video game character as if he's some sort of lost puppy. Why are you suddenly convinced he's so misunderstood? After all those sarcastic comments you've made about him and his appearance, I'd never think you would..."

I looked down at the ground, at my feet, staring at my toes in shame. "I never should have said any of those things. I knew nothing about him back then. He may seem strange and narcissistic and cruel and despicable, but in those moments, those brief, pure moments that he drops the act and lets a sliver of his true personality show, he can be kind and caring and hilarious and...and he can be one of the greatest friends I've ever known. And I'm not giving that up."

"You can say what you want, but I'm not changing my mind," my father declared. From the stern look on his face, a look that rarely surfaced in such an intense fashion, I realized that I couldn't win this debate. They wouldn't understand the difference between the demons that theology warns us about—or the ones people refer to metaphorically—from the one I actually knew. And how could they? Only I had met Ghirahim, and it took a special... a special spark of madness, of childlike wonder, to see who he really was. Or, at least, who he could be.

Once again, I scanned the concerned, disapproving faces of my family. Without thinking, I turned away and silently returned to my room.

* * *

The rest of my evening I spent on my bed, my belongings from the the foreign world stuffed in my closet.

I rolled over, attempting to block out the sound of my parents' arguing with my pillow. I could hear every word they hissed at each other through the walls separating our rooms.

"...upset because our only daughter has turned into some insane adrenaline junkie who has no regard for our wishes. Don't you think I may have wanted a daughter that I could go shopping with? Someone to talk about friends and boys with? But _no. _You _had _to get her addicted to videogames. And now all she talks about are these...'adventures'. I mean, what are we supposed to think of it? Most parents don't have to deal with their kid going into some other _world _based on a damn videogame. I think she needs consoling or something. There's no way any of this is real. I just wanted a normal daughter. Is that too much to ask?"

My dad spoke up, the patience in his voice still strained from our earlier conversation. "Look...I'm sorry that I've upset you but..."

"No, Steve, I'm not upset. I just wish that she was like other girls her age. And if she focused more on school than this...this insane dream world, then maybe she'd get higher A's. As it is, she's barely maintaining her grades. She's almost dropped down a letter grade in History."

"Well what do you want me to do? I already told her she wasn't going back."

"I _don't know _what to do!" My mom's voice raised. "I shouldn't have to deal with this! I'm already working full time to save up for her college! I don't have time for this! It's stressing me out!"

"I know it is! But how is that my fault? I don't understand why you're blaming me!"

"I'm not! I just don't know why my life has to be so stressful!"

"I know that. I'm stressed at work too. But I don't know what we can do differently."

"Maybe we should arrange for her to be in counseling. Maybe this all is some...I don't know..."

"You know that will just make her more resentful..."

"I don't know what else we're supposed to do!" My mother's voice was raised to the point where I wondered if she actually wanted me to hear. "You heard what she was saying down there. Talking about a demon as if he were her friend. There is something wrong with her. I can't let my daughter have some silly crush on an imaginary demon!"

I rolled over, groaning. Hearing them argue like that about me was more draining than anything else. This wasn't the first time I'd heard my mother rant about how abnormal I was, and it wouldn't be the last either. But this specific situation seemed to sting more than usual; it left a gaping void in my stomach. After all, it wasn't my fault that I was chosen for this. And in terms of being normal...I doubted they knew what kids could be like at my school, because if they knew, they'd realize just how painfully average I was.

After all, considering there were kids at my school who were ditching class, doing drugs, getting pregnant, rebelling, practically worshiping Satan, and doing whatever else a teenager might do, they should be grateful for what I am. After all, just because I don't like shopping doesn't mean that I don't pick out fashionable clothes when I'm forced to. I don't dress like a slut or anything. I just wear the same types of outfits as any other normal girl my age. And it wasn't like I was _that_ obsessed with videogames. Sure, I played them in my spare time, but at school, unless I specifically mentioned my love for the Zelda series, or any other game for that matter, no one would guess how much of a gamer girl I could really be. So even though my situation was bad, it could get much worse, and I was starting to wonder if my parents were forgetting that.

The hours passed by, and I laid there, holding back my emotions. I had my ear buds in, trying to drown out the sound of my parents' angry lamenting. I listened to all my favorite songs, the ones that always made me feel safe and loved and happy with myself, but nothing could lift my spirits. After all, I was facing the possibly that I may never get to see one of my closest friends again. Don't get me wrong—I loved my friends in this world to pieces. But they could not replace him, and nor could he replace them. That was my problem. All I wanted was for my two lives to peacefully coexist, but now each path was like a river split in the middle, the current of each pulling me along with it. And eventually I would have to surrender to one of them.

But that time was not now.

* * *

I spent about a week at home, catching up on the things I'd missed. I practiced driving, did my homework, tried to keep pace with each class. And it wasn't that hard. Not physically anyway.

The problem was, though, one that I had predicted. After the novelty and excitement of my return, my friends seemed to lose some of their interest, and I was no more special than when I'd left. But the thing was, since I gave them such ambiguous answers, they still had little to no idea where I'd been and if I'd leave again. So they stopped asking. And they went back to hanging out with the other friends they'd grown closer to in my absence. A lot can change in two weeks of high school. When at first they wondered if I'd ever come back, they thought and worried about me. And, as they did this, their habitual paths seemed to vary from how they'd been. They found someone new to walk with from class to class. And someone to sit with at lunch. And to run with in gym and talk to after school. And after I returned, all they seemed to find was a reason to stop worrying.

If there's one thing I've noticed, it's that high school students are very resistant to change. They'll only change something if they're forced to. And when they are forced to change, it's even harder to force them to change back.

Don't get me wrong—my closest, realest friends were still there for me. But it was different somehow. Save for Allison, it seemed that most of them were somewhat less close. Our conversations wouldn't be as flowing and easy as they used to, and they were less common. Some of them seemed to forget that we ever talked in the first place.

And once again I faced my pain of fourth and seventh grade—I'd been replaced.

It wasn't even that much of a difference this time. I mean, this is high school—people grow closer together just as fast as they grow apart. Two weeks shouldn't be that much time for things to change, but it turned out that it was just enough.

More than ever did I want to return to my other life; one for which I'd been chosen and couldn't ever be replaced.

* * *

I was lying in my bed, listening to "Home" by Phillip Phillips when I decided that it was time to return to the other world.

I looked out the window. Not a single star was visible in the murky midnight sky. It was just another night that the electric glow of the city had blotted out a million real lights.

As if on an impulse, I found myself retrieving my sword, shield, and adventure pouch from my closet, laying them out on my bed. I hesitated for a moment. Only after I heard my father's snoring did I continue with my plan.

Moving as quietly as I possibly could, I tip-toed down the stairs with a duffel bag. If only my magic worked in this world. Then I could just teleport. But I suppose Hylia didn't want her little secret getting out, so my powers only worked in the world she had any control over.

Still trying to be move silently, I packed some non-perishable foods in my backpack, raiding the cupboards. Then I packed a few bottles of water. Then I crept down to the basement, packing anything that I could possibly ever need. If it looked like it could come in handy, I packed it. Blankets? Check. A flashlight? Check. Batteries? Double Check.

I even packed some old play medical supplies, because some of the objects could come in handy. We had tiny fake pill containers that I could put herbs or potions in. And we had old, tattered rags that we could use as a makeshift bandage. Besides, cloth was always useful. I even found one of my mom's old stethoscopes in our utility room. It occurred to me as I packed this, that perhaps it made sense that I had been given healing powers. After all, my mother was in the medical field, and I did live in a city with a large hospital. Maybe Hylia had this more thought out than I gave her credit for. Maybe she really did have a plan.

Finally, I zipped up my bag and snuck back up to my room.

To give myself a few additional changes of clothes, I packed a variety of outfits—some that were more practical, as well as some that were more aesthetic (just in case I needed to get on Ghirahim's good side—he does like the inhabitants of his manor to be well dressed.)

Finally, after raiding the family bathroom, I had packed everything I could possibly need, including some painkiller and a first aid kit that I found.

There was one last thing I had to do before leaving. Taking a deep breath, I sat at my desk. In a hastily written letter to my parents, I explained my reasons for leaving and apologized for doing this to them, for not being the normal daughter that they wanted. In the morning they would find the note on my desk, and they would probably be devastated and enraged, but I knew what I was doing was for the best. And they wouldn't have to worry this time, because I specifically stated that I _would _come back, even if I didn't know exactly then. I just hoped that by then they would have forgiven me.

* * *

The manor seemed strangely quiet when I arrived the next day. Leal looked genuinely surprised when I knocked on the door. I suppose he didn't expect me to come back. Maybe I was making a mistake. But then again, my self-preservation skills had never been on point.

I walked straight through the doors, smiling at Leal politely and giving him a friendly nod. I received no response, and I began to wonder how much time had passed in this world. I had no idea, as I still didn't have the ratio completely figured out. But it couldn't have been too long... Could it?

I walked up the stairs to my room, my possessions in tow, and I opened my door, tossing my bag onto the bed. I was happy to have all my stuff with me. It was then that I noticed the absence of an anxious feeling that I'd had before, not feeling prepared. But now I felt like I was here to stay, and I was calmer now that it was _my _choice.

After getting settled, I crossed the hallway to Ghirahim's room.

I knocked on the door. "Hey Ghir! Guess who's baaack!"

No answer.

I frowned, knocking again. "What? You're not going to welcome me? Ouch." I pushed open the door and walked in, prepared to make another sarcastic remark. But... The room was empty.

"What the..." I walked about the room, taking in the scene. His quarters looked pretty similar to the last time I'd been in there. His books and papers were still covering his desk in some sort of tasteless collage of notes. His bed wasn't even made. The blankets were still pulled to the side as if he'd just woken up. Putting my hand on the soft surface, it could have been my imagination, but it almost felt like there was the slightest bit of heat.

But then I noticed something else: the candles in his room were still lit. I stared at the flickering flames. Ghirahim never seemed to leave them burning. He'd always blow out the candles before leaving his room, not wanting to risk losing his research in a fire.

Looking closely, I noticed that one of the candles seemed fairly new. I remembered seeing a stump of a candle in its place the last time I'd been in his room, so it must have been replaced. What surprised me, though, was how clean it was. Even after the first time lighting a candle, a line of wax always seemed to trail down the side. But aside from a small reservoir of melted candle near the wick, there was barely any melted wax. So either this candle burnt much slower than the others, or it hadn't been burning for very long. So if I was right in that Ghirahim had forgotten to extinguish the candle, then he'd only left his room a little bit ago. I may have just missed him.

I had no idea where he would be. I had a feeling that if he was in the manor, he would have already shown up and tried to mess with me in some way. But there was no sign of him.

I stepped towards his desk. Most of the documents and notes regarded to his tracking of the Spirit Maiden. But that wouldn't be necessary... I mean, he wouldn't need any of it unless...

I frantically sifted through the unorganized pile of parchment, but it didn't take me long to come to one chilling conclusion:

Wherever he was, he must have one very important document with him. One that he would never lose.

Wherever he was...Ghirahim had the map.

* * *

**Link's POV**

As soon as I saw Zelda, three things ran through my mind:

_1)This is too good to be true._

_2)Alright, now where's Ghirahim_?

_3) My Godesses, has she always looked that good in white?_

Beat, bruised, and bleeding, I'd managed to drag myself out of Lanayru mines, but I knew my trouble wasn't over. It never was. I'd only laid eyes on Zelda for a few moments before things went south.

That is, before the wall behind me blew to pieces.

* * *

**Ghirahim's POV**

I'd lost track of time since the girl had left. I did not act right away, concerned that if she returned as I executed my plan... Well... In simplest turns, things would take a turn for the unfortunate.

But after I was sure that she would be gone for a while at least, I knew I had to act. I may only have one chance, and the bokoblins had sent reports of spotting the green-clad boy in Lanayru desert. And even without my bokoblin spies, I could sense a divine presence in the area of the desert. Today was the day.

With one last glance at the map, I warped to the indicated temple. I was met by a pile of rubble blocking my path. I almost laughed. After coming all this way and going through so much pain, the last thing that could hope to stop me would be an insignificant pile of rocks.

I broke through the barrier with the ease of a child smashing an expensive vase.

As expected, I was met by the sky-boy and, of course, Hylia's reincarnation. I attempted to down the boy as I lept through the rubble. But whether he was agile or just lucky, he managed to dodge my blade. Without giving him a second glance, I encircled his feet in a burning ring of cursed fire.

Fury and excitement shot adrenaline through my bloodstream, and I dashed towards the girl with my sword drawn. I didn't care what happened to her. I didn't care if I killed or maimed her. That didn't matter anymore. I only needed something to punish.

Quick as a snake, the Spirit Maiden's guardian jumped in front of her, shielding her charge with a wall of blue magic. Without missing a beat, I swung my sword down on the field, leaving cracks in its surface. The Spirit Maiden ran to the gate behind her, one that I recognized as the Gate of Time, and then, with a quick burst of gold magic, she sent her golden harp towards the boy.

Within moments, I had shattered the guardian's shield and driven her to her knees. She was at my mercy—it was too bad I had none.

I was about the spill the blood of my first enemy when I noticed movement out of the corner of my eye. Within a heartbeat, I was forced to jump out of the way of the boy's blade in order to avoid a ragged beheading.

I landed on my feet with my usual elegance, but as my feet touched the ground, I felt a searing pain in my chest. I brought a hand to one of my healing wounds, and I realized with a brief wave of fear that it was moist, and after pulling away my hand, I stared at a drop of glistening blood on my fingertips. I did not have time to dwell on it, however, because in that moment, I was nearly blinded with a flash of light. Dust filled my lungs with my next breath.

I lifted my head, staring in horror at the disintegrated stump where the Gate of Time used to stand.

The girl and her guardian were gone, having disappeared into an entirely different time. I would not have a chance to take my vengeance. And that filled me with so much rage that I began to shake.

I clenched my fists, thrusting my sword forward.

"_You,_" I hissed, barely able to speak with my throat constricted in fury. "_You_... Do you know what you've _done_?"

Link's eyes stretched wide, and he flinched slightly. I wanted to scream at him, to express to him my fury with him and every other factor that has ever been against me. But I could not form the syllables. I'd been too soft up until now. I needed blood. I needed blood _now._

Without another word I darted forward, throwing away any restraint I'd shown before.

I'll admit, the boy put up a proper fight. He could have made it, too, had he not slipped over the edge of the stone bridge. He would have fallen to his doom had he not grabbed hold of the edge of the path.

I felt a smirk spread across my face, and I turned the hilt of my sword through my fingers.

"You... You have no idea how much I will enjoy this..." I sneered, raising my sword above my head. As the boy struggled to pull himself up, I rushed towards him, knowing that one strike was all it would take to send him to his well deserved demise.

He'd managed to pull his upper body over the edge, but I could tell he'd given up. Bleeding and exhausted, he must have known he'd reached the end. I closed my eyes as I got closer to him, bringing my sword down. Instead of screaming, however, I was met by the screech of metal-on-metal.

I opened my eyes in shock, not believing what I saw in front of me.

"What the hell?" The girl from Earth griped. "You just broke my favorite sword."

* * *

It took me a moment to react to my companion's sudden appearance.

"What are you doing here?" I demanded, suddenly angry.

"What am _I _doing here?" The girl glared back at me with equal intensity. "What are _you _doing here? I can't leave you boys alone for five minutes, can I? Do I really need to find you a babysitter?"

"You have no right to question me," I spat. "You know perfectly well why I'm here."

She raised her eyebrows. "Do I?"

"You can't honestly expect me to not take my vengeance on this boy after he's wronged me so."

"Oh my..." she dropped the remaining stub of her sword, blood dripping down her hands from cuts created by the shattered metal. "You're...You're an idiot. You are an idiot, you are such an idiot... You..."

She grabbed the top of her ponytail with both hands, turning around. Then she turned to face me.

"You're an idiot."

"You're a bigger idiot," I shot back.

"How am _I _an idiot?" she demanded. "You're the one who's trying to capture a Spirit Maiden for a master who disowned him."

"I'm not..." I glared at her. "I'm not trying to capture her. I'm simply punishing them for what they did to me!"

"For what _they _did to you? Ghirahim, what the hell are you talking about?"

I opened my mouth to respond, but then I noticed that the boy was no longer behind her. Whipping around, I saw him attempting to run out of the shrine. Scowling, I bound his legs midair with magic chains, and he fell to the ground.

"You've got to be _kidding me!_" The boy shouted, more annoyed than scared at this point.

"This is exactly what I mean!" The girl shouted, gesturing towards him. "What could Link have done to deserve this?"

"He..." I trailed off as the girl ran towards her friend to unbind him.

"Sorry Link..." she muttered.

"That's okay, Marissa," he responded calmly, rubbing his ankles. "Now could you please tell me what's going on?"

Without a warning, I saw red, and I lunged forward. Link barely had a chance to draw his sword before I was upon him, my sword inches from his face. He blocked my blow, and I swung at him again. I lunged at him over and over again, each strike growing gradually less controlled.

"He deserves everything that has—" I suddenly could not speak, feeling confused as my chest started to sting. Then I felt searing pain in the area of my most severe stab wound. A warm liquid oozed from the laceration, leaking through my clothing and down my stomach. I froze, my knees suddenly buckling.

"Ghirahim, you are such a..." The girl trailed off as she saw me fall to my knees. Suddenly she was there, supporting my head and shoulders as I laid, sprawled across the ground.

"Ghirahim, what's wrong?"

I didn't respond; I just put a hand on my chest, and a patch of red began to show through my white clothing. She gasped in worry.

"I told you that you would reopen your wound if you didn't take it easy," she scolded me, though her eyes flashed with worry.

Even Link approached cautiously. "Could someone _please _tell me what's going on?"

He did not receive and answer, however, as I would have rather died than answer him, and the girl was too occupied with healing my wound to say anything.

It didn't take long for her to close the wound again, and this time the scab it left was about a third of the size of the one that broke.

She helped me to my feet. "Alright, easy now."

I looked at her as she stood back, and then she looked back at me. "What," she teased quietly, lowering her eyes. "No welcome back hug?"  
I stood there for a moment, moving my hand from the newly healed wound. Then I darted closer to her, making Link flinch, his hand finding the hilt of his sword.

My arms pulled my friend to my chest, and I held her close. She didn't resist, pushing her face into my shoulder and wrapping her arms around me. We stood like this for a few warm moments.

Then Link cleared his throat."I won't try to run away if someone would just TELL ME WHAT'S GOING ON!"

"Oh," the girl glanced at me. "Uh, sure. Yeah... So this is Ghirahim and..."

"Yeah I got that part," the swordsman said dryly.

"Anyway, so we aren't enemies anymore," she declared.

"Oh yeah?" He folded his arms. "I never could have guessed."

"Anyway, I'll explain most of this to you later, but all you need to know is that Ghirahim and I are kinda sorta friends now."

"'Kinda Sorta'?" I echoed, almost hurt.

"Okay, so maybe we really are friends. Like pretty close ones, too."

I put a hand on her shoulder and she looked up at me in confusion. "What the hell are you doing?"  
I shrugged.

Link stepped back. "Well, this is sweet and all, a nice story of friendship and stuff, but I think it's time that I..."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "You said you wouldn't run."

"Yeah but I..."

"Link?" The girl spoke up.

"Yeah?"

She looked him straight in the eye. "Run."

Link didn't hesitate. He bolted in the other direction, only to be yanked backwards by my magic.

"OH COME ON—"

The girl groaned in exasperation. "Oh, give him a break, Ghir. Haven't you tortured the poor boy enough?"

"I don't think that's possible."

She rolled her eyes. "Come on now. Cut it out. We should go back to the manor and make a new plan."

I shook my head. "I came here to take my anger out on Link. I'm not leaving until I do."

"You don't need to take your anger out on him. We'll get you a stress ball or something. Come now or the offer is off the table."

"What offer?"

She facepalmed. "The stress ball, you ignorant crouton. Do you even English?"

I heaved a sigh. "What are you talking about now?"

"I don't know. Let's go home." She suggested, grabbing my hand. Her fingers felt strangely warm against mine; it almost made my skin tingle.

But I ignored this, turning away from her. "I'm not letting the boy escape."

"Fine. Then we'll take him back to the manor."

Link let out a noise of protest.

I found myself doubled over with laughter. "You expect me to take my archenemy, the person I hate _most_, back to my home?"

She blinked calmly. "Yes."

"No. I won't do it."

"Yes, you will."

"No, I won't."

"Yes, you will."

Link cleared his throat again. "Uh, as long as we're determining _my fate_, I think I should get a say in this."

"No," I glared daggers at him. "Shut your damn mouth and sit the hell down."  
I looked back to the girl. Her arms were folded, her gaze smoldering. She stood on the tip of her toes so her gaze was more level with mine. Now, honestly, Ocean may be the least intimidating living being I've ever met, but something about the way her eyes seared into mine like a pair of azure flames made me uncomfortable. Despite this, however, I stared back with equal intensity, narrowing my eyes, and we stayed like so for a while, our gazes locked —stormy cerulean on dark chocolate.

Then something compelled me to look away.

"You're going to have to feed him, train him, clean up after him..."

"I know. I will." She chirped.

"I'm not a pet!" Link protested indignantly, though he was ignored.

I clenched my fists. "But...I...hate...him..."

"Come on, Ghir. It'll be fun. Then he can't mess up anything. You can keep an eye on him, you know?"

I scowled, my next words bringing me great pain. "Fine. We'll bring him to the manor."

"Yay!" The girl beamed. She walked over to Link, giving him a hand up.

A small piece of my soul died with every step we took out of that shrine with Link tailing behind. It was only as we passed through the gates that I realized something.

"Ocean?"

"Yeah, Ghir?"

"Ignorant Crouton?"

Her cheeks glowed red. "Shut up. It sounded better in my head."

"That actually sounded good in your head?"

"Shut. Up."

"_Ignorant_ _Crouton_."

"I will cut you."

"Aggressive Cornflake."

"Ghirahim, I swear..."

"Swear on what? You'd better watch your words. You wouldn't want to offend anyone. And you call _me_ the ignorant crouton."

"I will murder you in your sleep."

I rested my hand on her shoulder again. "I'm so sure."

* * *

**Marissa's POV**

We had to walk for a while before Ghirahim had enough energy to teleport us all back. He wasn't particularly happy about the arrangement, but I couldn't be the one to take Link. I was barely even confident in teleporting myself. When I'd tried to warp to the manor that morning, I'd ended up in a tree. In a freaking _tree_. That was not the plan. So in short, we ended up deciding Ghirahim would teleport us all at once.  
I had been talking to Link about my relationship and experience with Ghirahim for a majority of the walk, and the demon lord had pulled ahead. Eventually though, I sped up, regaining pace with him.

"Enjoying your conversation with your new best friend?" He asked dryly.

I rolled my eyes. "Okay first, he was my friend before you were, and second, yeah, it's kinda nice to catch up with him. What's gotten you so bitter?"

He gave me a look and I realized the stupidity of my question.

"Oh. You're mad that I'm making you take Link with us."

"Yes. And over the fact that you got in my way _again._ Did I not warn you against doing that?"

"Hey, you broke my sword!"

He scowled. "I'm still angry with you, you know."

"Yeah?"

"Yes. I'm simmering silently."

"Well if that's the case, then I'm sorry, but I would think saving you from bleeding out _again_ back there would give me some slack."

"No." He shook his head. "You heal me all the time. That's not special."

It was my turn to look at him weird.

"That's not...I mean... That should..." Eventually I sighed in resignation. "Whatever. Fine. I'll make it up to you sometime."

"And how do you intend to do that?"

"Hmm..." I shrugged. "Have I told you about cookies? Like chocolate chip cookies?"

"Possibly."

I threw an arm around his shoulders. "Well, maybe sometime I'll make you a batch of chocolate chip cookies. Then you'll truly know what happiness tastes like."

"Is that so?"

"Yep."

Ghirahim drew a hand through his snow-white hair. "So I can't kill him?"

"No."

"Can I at least maim him?"

"No."

"Not even a little?"

"No."

"How much farther?" Link called from behind us.

I glanced at Ghirahim. "You ready?"

"Give me a moment," he responded, taking a deep breath. Then he lifted his eyes, and a small smile graced his lips. "Ready."

I beckoned Link over, offering my hand as I thought that "repulsed" wouldn't even be close to describing what Ghirahim would be if Link tried to touch him.

Ghirahim held out his own hand, and I reached forward. As I went to place my hand in his, I looked around. My eyes locked on to the symbol of the Goddess behind us. The shadows and the sunlight mixed perfectly to give the faint outline an ominous, and yet hopeful look all at the same time.

I looked back at Ghirahim's hand. He was no longer serving Demise, and now, with Link staying with us, I could protect both of them better. Yes, despite all the darkness in our lives, it seemed that there was light for each shadow. For right now at least, it seemed that all was well. Things were getting brighter.

With one last look at the monument behind us, I took Ghirahim's gloved hand, and I smiled as he teleported us back to my home away from home.

* * *

**Well, that's the end of _A Different Path: The Servant._**

**Wow. It feels weird typing that. I can't imagine how I'll feel the last time I update this story. Ouch.**

**Anyway, I think I'm going to take a "short" hiatus as I finish up trimming up the official plot of the next book. I know what I want to include...I've just only written a few key scenes, and sadly they are more towards the middle. I promise I will work hard to write the first few chapters and then I'll start posting again. If I finish the first few ahead of time, then I should be consistent for at least the first three or four hopefully. And then, hopefully I will have worked everything out and can get back into the groove I had going last year. Maybe I'll aim for the end of this month. That's the one year anniversary of this story anyway.**

**I would just like to again thank you all for your wonderful support throughout the development of this book. Your comments have made me laugh and cry and smile. This is the feeling I want. I think...one day...I might be a real author. Until then, though, I'm happy entertaining all my lovely readers. **

**So if you haven't already given a general review of the story like some of you have (S/O to lo loZelda4ever, AmberAngelle, and Enoshlma Junko for your recent wonderful reviews. They really made my day!) I would really appreciate it. But then again all of you have already said so many kind words that I can't ask much more from you. Love you all!**

**I think that's about all I can say for the time being. Until then, I wish you all the best, and I look forward to hearing from all of you. Well...i guess the next time you'll hear from me will be the premiere chapter of _A Different Path: The Defender._**

**Live your life. Make someone you care about smile. Don't mess up like I did.**

**Alright?**

**Alright.**

**~Catwhiskers24~**


	62. Bonus Chapter 2: Scrooge's Christmas

**Well, I'm back.**

**Sort of.**

**Gee, it sure has been a long time, huh? The last time I posted was in what, November? I wanted to have the next book started by the end of the month, which was the one year anniversary of my story, but things just didn't work out. I've spent a lot of time over the past month just thinking and getting my life together. It helped. It helped a lot, actually. I had to focus on other things, like what I mentioned last update.**

**Speaking of that problem... He and I aren't excactly on pleasant terms-in fact I think he hates me-but yesterday I tried to get us some closure by wishing him a merry Christmas, and he wished me one as well, so at least there's that. I really don't care at this point, as he has proved to me that even though he's older, he definitely doesn't make better choices... **

**They're engaged now. Yeah. In high school. **

**Anyway, I just want to thank you all for your support. All your messages giving me advice, or just plain encouraging me...well... You guys helped a ton and I realized once again how lucky I am to have you guys. I'm not usually much into having internet friends, but you guys are the closest thing to it.**

**Anyways, here's my outlook on our situation. As you may have guessed from the title, this is not the first chapter of the next book. This is a Christmas special that I wrote one year ago, but I never posted it until now because last year we weren't at a point where it would make sense. Even now, I'm not sure it _exactly _fits in with every little detail of where we are right now, but it's pretty close. I plan to release the first chapter of our next book sometime next week, but until then, here's this.**

**Oh, and this is chapter is pure fluff. Like, yeah. It's a little sappy, and Ghirahim seems a little extra nice in this one, but it's Christmas. Miracles happen. Enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own LOZ or its characters, but the OC's, plot twists, cliff hangers, and alternate story line are mine.**

* * *

**Marissa's POV**

There was only reason why, when you walked past my room on the afternoon of a frigid winter day, you would hear Christmas music. You see, I have...well... you could call it sort of 'song cravings'. Basically, sometimes there will be something or another that makes me want to listen to a specific song, or a specific category of songs. This particular day, it was Christmas songs.

Why? Well, there's no way it had _anything _to do with the fact that earlier that morning, I had turned on my phone, and I'd seen that the date back in my home world was the 23rd of December. I have no clue how my phone managed to keep track of the days back home, but I had reached a point where I no longer dared question unexpected liberties. What I mean to say is, I didn't know, and to be honest, I really didn't care. Ignorance and apathy really are two handicaps of the world, but sometimes they cam form a combination that is better for some things than others.

Okay, yeah. Tomorrow would be _Christmas_ back home. But it's not like I cared. I mean, I had no reason to care. I couldn't go back, so it was best just not to think about it. To not think about all those songs about being home for Christmas, about being with family. I couldn't think about the fact that my parents were probably wrapping presents for me...presents they had no clue whether I'd actually be home to open, but they had bought anyway. I wouldn't get to decorate the Christmas tree.

Huh. That was weird to think about. My family _always _decorated the Christmas tree together. It was kind of a family thing. We'd play old done-to-death Christmas songs, singing along as we put our favorite ornaments on the tree. Our cats would hide among the fallen pine needles at the base of the tree, eating a few of them just to get in that festive mood. But that doesn't matter.

But as my phone began playing "Joy to the World," I made the mistake of thinking about the Candlelight Service we went to at my church each Christmas Eve, how moments after we'd sing "Silent Night," the pastor would lead a prayer, and then, through the literal silence of the congregation, he'd blow out the candle, the lights would come on, and then "Joy to the World," would begin with the strike of the organ as the air was filled with the pleasant smell of burning wax from 200 extinguished candles. When I was little, my heart would be filled to the brim with, well, _joy,_ as the song always marked the end of the service, meaning that we could go home and finally open our presents.

I thrummed my fingertips against the wood of my desk, a small lump forming in my throat as I thought of all this. I wouldn't get to see all the lavishly decorated houses, the streets alight with the colorful shine of Christmas lights, casting refracted pastels onto the snow through the beautiful twilight. I wouldn't get to sing Christmas carols with my family, watch all the Christmas specials...

I felt this tightness behind my eyes, and my nose started running, but I shook it off. I wasn't going to get all emotional over something that I couldn't change. It was stupid. Just... stupid.

I slowly rose from my chair. I needed fresh air, I needed to get out of this stuffy room, I needed...

I walked over to my window, watching careless flurries of snow drift through the sky, the snowflakes soaring through the air and landing gently to form drifts on the vast yard of the manor. I traced my finger along the side of the windowsill; it was cold. And it felt good.

Without a second thought, I pushed open the window, and it flung back on its hinges. I took a deep breath of the frigid air, a cold breeze nipping playfully at my nose. A few snowflakes blew into my room, and I caught one in my palm, smiling as it melted and trickled across my palm.

Then I sat back down in my chair, which was like an old fashioned rotating chair, and I spun. Closing my eyes, I imagined hot chocolate, ugly sweaters, and neatly wrapped boxes topped with a bright bow. I let time melt away with the snow. And I didn't care about that either.

"Hello, Sky Child," Ghirahim spoke up suddenly, startling me. But I quickly regained my composure, grunting in response. Ghirahim's eyes darted to the open door. "You'd better close that, lest you catch a cold," he warned, his voice strangely gentle.

"It's real sweet of you to worry about me, but I'll be fine," I answered quietly.

The noble walked farther into my room. His eyes darted to my phone, which was playing "Jingle Bell Rock".  
"What's going on?" He asked after a few moments passed.

"Nothing," I mumbled. Then, with silence lying heavily in the room, I decided to be bold. "Look...In my old home, at this time of year we celebrate a holiday called Christmas. It's a really big deal, and everyone looks forward to it every year. I've never missed it...until now."  
I dared a glance at him, but he seemed to be avoiding my gaze.

"And... why is that?" He asked.

"Well for starters, you do have me cooped up in here." I pointed out. "I just left. I thought you didn't want me to leave again for a while."

"That's not exactly true. I'm not guarding your door, am I?"

I turned around completely, and this time he met my gaze. "What are you saying?"

Ghirahim sighed. "Well...between that obnoxious music and that freezing draft you're letting in, I suppose I have no choice but to let you leave. Temporarily, of course," He grumbled. "Besides..." He smiled, "I don't particularly like seeing you this way." The noble hooked a finger beneath my chin using his thumb to raise the corner of my mouth into a smile. He didn't have to try very hard.

"D-Do you mean it?" I stammered in disbelief. "I just left...and you don't really know that I'll be back..."

Ghirahim examined a paper on my desk—a crappy drawing I'd made of a Christmas tree. "I don't know why you're arguing with me. I thought you wanted to go back!" He chuckled, giving me a strangely warm smile. I must have caught him in a good mood.

"I do," I agreed. "Are you sure you don't mind?"

"Be back in a few days, and it shouldn't be a problem."

"I will."

Ghirahim stood in front of me, his expression suddenly serious. "Promise me," he begged, his voice lowering. "I know you proved yourself last time...but I can't help but doubt..."

"I cross my heart. I _will_ come back." I assured him, barely holding back my anticipation.

He turned away. "Fine. Then get out of my sight already."

I smiled so wide that it hurt. Before I knew what I was doing, I had leapt out of my chair, flung my arms around his neck, and was hugging him tightly. He jumped a bit, but then he rested his hands on my back. I wasn't sure if it was my imagination, but I could've sworn he smelled like peppermint. He was definitely warm as he hugged me back.

"Thank you, Ghirahim," I breathed.

After gently pulling away from the hug, I ran down the hall, calling "Merry Christmas!" over my shoulder. I knew it probably didn't mean much to him, that phrase, but something about the way he smiled lightly made me think that it must mean something.

I found myself nearly skipping as I ran down the halls to the grand wooden doors at the entrance. And then, throwing them open, I dashed outside. The snow was still falling steadily, so I spun in circles, humming "Joy to the World"—which at that point seemed to have been written just for me—as I caught snowflakes on my tongue. Then, as I began to get dizzy, I imagined my home, and I teleported.

* * *

Ghirahim's POV

I couldn't help but feel tense as I waited for the girl to return. I wondered if I was making a mistake. Would she come back? It was suddenly clear to me how strong of an emotional attachment she had to her old home, and I couldn't help but worry that one day she would leave, and she wouldn't return.

After all, I truly didn't see what would make her want to. Why return to a world where imminent death hung over her head? Was she truly so determined to protect me? Or did she feel that she had an obligation to the goddess Hylia? Besides, now that I was no longer Demise's sword, and therefore not a threat, didn't that mean that part of her mission was complete? The part that Hylia obviously cared more about? What if the goddess no longer cared if she stayed?

I began to suspect that I'd seen the last of my servant girl.

I sat on the couch with a sigh. She was the only...friend I actually had. She was the only one I trusted. And now she was gone. And this time it would be for good. I never had understood family, but the bond that kin shares tends to be stronger than I could ever conceive.

Bitter regret built inside me. How stupid I had been, having a moment of weakness. A senseless act of compassion would cost me dearly. I would lose the closest thing to family I had.

I jumped as I heard a knock on the door. Hastily I sped to the door, nudged Leal aside, and flung open the door. Standing in front of me, with rosy red cheeks that made her cerulean blue eyes pop, stood the girl. An array of snowflakes formed a tiara in her hair, which began to melt as soon as the warm air greeted it.

"Hey," she said, with one of those smiles that seemed to make me warm up inside and made my fingertips tingle. I smiled back, filled with a sudden happiness, and pulled her inside.

"You're back," I stated, holding back my relief.

" 'Course. I promised." She began taking off her jacket, combing snow out of her hair with her fingers.

"You must be cold. Come, sit by the fire." I urged, leading her over to the fireplace. She sat down in front of it, closing her eyes against the warmth. I cautiously sat next to her. She leaned against me a bit, slowly, as if not realizing she was doing it at all.

"So...what does one do during... Christmas?" I asked. She yawned.

She yawned before answering, "Well, usually _one _watches Christmas movies, sings songs, goes to church, visits relatives, and of course...exchanges presents."

"Presents?"

"Yeah. Which reminds me—" she slipped the straps of a worn green bag off of her shoulder, and she opened it, looking up at me sheepishly.

"I thought I should get you something. I wasn't sure what to get, and I was out of time and the stores were all picked over but..."

She sighed, taking out a box wrapped with glossy red paper that was tearing at the corners. On top was a shiny green bow.

"This is for me?"

"No, it's for a friend. I'm just having you open it because she hates fun things." She laughed. "Of course it's for you!"

I felt a thrill of excitement. I'd never received a present before. Everything Demise had ever given me had been formally presented to me by a servant, and it was usually something that I needed anyway.

"What do I do with it?"

"Um...You open it," she answered.

"Right..." I traced my finger along the hastily wrapped surface before tearing open the paper covering it. Inside was a brown box. Inside the box was a thin green paper encasing several items. I removed the first object—a small wooden sword. It was smaller than a paperweight, but barely more than a pendant. And it was shaped like a sword.

"What is it?"

She shrugged. "Take a closer look."

I stared at it in confusion. Then I saw it. In tiny letters, engraved into the bottom of the carving, were the words "_A weapon in its own hands._"

I looked to her for an explanation.

"You're free now. Your power, your destiny-it's all up to you. You make your own choices, harness your power however you want. Be what you want to be. That said, you also get to decide what this is. Maybe it's a paperweight, maybe it's some sort of charm...you get to decide."

I stared at the object in my hand for a moment longer. "Thank you," I rasped.

"Go on; there's more where that came from." She encouraged.

The next object was a book of some sort. When I removed the thin paper, the cover read, "The Book Thief".

"It's that book," I realized.

"Yeah," she nodded. "I really think you should read it. I can't really tell you why right now, but once you get into it and I explain the history of it...hopefully you'll understand."

I set that aside. The final gift sat at the bottom of the box, small and rectangular. A pack of cards.

"I thought, since sometimes you have trouble sleeping, instead of lying there and thinking about your worries, you should come to me and we can play cards. I can teach you a few different games, and then whenever you need to take your mind of something...my door is always open."

I felt an emotion that I couldn't quite name. It filled my chest with a warm burning sensation that seemed to flare up my throat.

"Thank you. This...everything...it's so thoughtful. No one has ever..."

"I know." She rested her hand on my shoulder. "So I'm going to make up for it, starting today. I mean, I know these presents are terrible...I just didn't know what to get you."

I smiled, pushed aside the wrapping and wrapped my arms around her. There was only one thing that I really wanted right then, and she was sitting right next to me by the fire.

* * *

**So there, you go, some fluff for the holidays. His presents will reappear throughout the story, but otherwise its kind of just a deleted scene I guess. Notice Link wasn't mentioned, so when this happened is really up for interpretation for you.**

**Thanks again for all your reviews and support. Keep up the great work!**

**Merry Christmas/Happy Hanukkah/Happy whatever you celebrate**

**Oh, and Happy Boxing Day...**

**~Catwhiskers24~**


	63. Chapter 2-1: Swimming Lesson

**And... We're Back!**

**Welcome back t****o _A Different Path, _This is Catwhiskers24 and it's my job for the next few months to provide you with a spontaneous, and yet serious, fanfiction. This is the second book of my first ever fanfiction, and it's called _The Defender. _If you don't know why that title is at all significant, I would suggest going**

**back to chapter 1 of this here piece of work.**

**After a bit of a hiatus, I'm back and better than ever. I have a new story, a new plan, and a new chapter for you to kick off 2016! Thanks for your patience. I really needed that break, but I'm better now. **

**I've done some editing on the documents of my old chapters, and I'm going to gradually upload the new and improved chapters. They're not drastic changes-mostly like cleaning a bit of the grammar and rough patches. But I redid the beginning of chapter one, and I will update that in a bit. **

**A big thanks to everyone who has given me suggestions and complements, as they are all so appreciated and helpful. I want to thank everyone who has helped me get this far.**

**Thanks to Sketchachu for all your amazing reviews that contain many helpful comments, which will help when I edit my story. (Though some logic things-like the thing regarding...female hygiene I might ask you to overlook...Ive actually never read a story that really talked about that, so I didnt think much of it, but she's not a late bloomer, she just deals with it.) Anyways, thanks so much!**

**To be honest, I'm trying to type this long A/N on my smartphone and it's exceedingly difficult so I'm just gonna stop here and add anything more I think of later.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own LoZ**

* * *

**Marissa's POV**

"This is the worst idea you've ever had."

"What about that time I tried to cook dinner?"

"Second worst."

"Hey, you're going along with it, Ghir," I pointed out, turning to face Ghirahim as I flung my blue beach towel over my shoulder. Ghirahim, being the eccentric demon lord he was, flipped the sleek curtain of snow white hair out of his face, rolling his eyes. The light from the sun made the brown of his irises look like two glossy cocoa beans; the red gem gleamed on the golden sash around his waist, casting a red tint onto his hip.

I let out a sigh, adjusting my grip on the towel. I would have changed into a swim suit, but I really hated the idea of getting into anything as slight as that when I was around Ghirahim. Even though Demise had disowned him as an adopted son, _and _as a sword, he still acted a little bad sometimes. Just not in the same ways.

Yeah, I was a bit hesitant to appear half dressed in front of a former enemy. Don't get me wrong, we're real close—I'd trust him with my life in a heartbeat. But at the same time, I didn't want to set myself up for one of his incredibly clever remarks.

Of course, Ghirahim's typical outfit, a skin-tight, white unitard was practically a swimsuit itself. And the white of the fabric really did bring out the gray-green of his pale skin. Of course, after the attack with Malice, he had a ragged scar showing through the diamond cut out on his belly, and the tips of the two on his chest were visible as well.

_**Ha, look at me, going on and on like that. Time to break the forth wall again! I forgot to welcome y'all to the next part of my story.**_

_**Hey guys! Welcome back to my life of pain, death, and suffering. I would like to remind you that my warnings at the beginning of my last journal still stand. If you think the deaths that occurred last time I talked to you people were bad, then this book will just destroy you!**_

_**Or maybe that's the next book.**_

_**God, I still have no idea how to tell this story. Maybe I'm just stalling so that I don't have to get to the bad parts. Living them was one thing, but recalling all of it to write down those moments will be twice the hell.**_

_**This should be fun!**_

_**Anyway, I should remind you that whatever happens in this book and in the potential sequel, keep in mind that you don't have to worry about me because I am alive. It's the other characters you'll have to worry about. You know, like Herb.**_

_**I can't believe I just said that. How dare I?**_

_**By the way, if you don't know why it was so terrible that I just said that, chances are you haven't read the beginning of my story, so why the hell are you reading this?**_

_**Go back and read the first one! Everyone knows that the worst possible thing you can do in a series is starting in the middle. You are going to be so freaking confused!**_

_**Anyway, if you're going to be stubborn and keep reading, or if you completely sleepwalked through my other story, then here's a quick summary for you:**_

_**Girl is clumsy. Girl trips and falls into a shiny blue portal. Girl ends up in the world of her video game. Girl meets Link and Zelda. Girl then falls off of a giant floating island and meets Ghirahim and Malice. Link, Zelda, and Malice=Good. Ghirahim=Bad.**_

_**Plot twist! Malice is actually BAD, and he tries to MURDER Ghirahim. As for Ghirahim...well...that's complicated. Is he good or bad? That remains to be seen, I suppose. All we know is that he would do anything to help his master. You know, the master that abuses him. Oh, and that master ALSO was the person who made Malice try to murder him.**_

_**Well, I'll admit, it all sounds kind of crazy, if not cliche. But that, give or take a few small details, is where we are right now.**_

_**Oh, did I tell you that I also have magical powers? I'll let story me tell you a little more about that.**_

Ghirahim didn't act like his new scars made him self conscious, though maybe that was because he was hanging around me, and I would probably know about the scars, considering I was the one who healed the original wounds in the first place.

And no, I don't mean like a few little scratches that needed an XL band-aid and only scarred because it was one skin layer too deep. I'm talking about gaping stab wounds that made him bleed all over the place. Wounds that would have killed him, that probably _should _have killed him. But they didn't. I healed him.

And when I say I healed him, I'm not saying I stitched him up or gave him some sort of emergency operation. I didn't have to. Not in this world.

By now you're probably assuming that this world I mentioned is completely terrible and violent. And it is. You know, considering Ghirahim here was nearly _stabbed _to death, I think that's kind of obvious. And that's not even the half of it. Ghirahim also has been stabbed by yours truly—by accident of course. And he got me back during a fight with some bokoblins. But besides that, Ghirahim has almost drowned, almost been incinerated with me during the eruption of a large volcano, been beaten nearly to death by his master (on multiple occasions), suffers from chronic seizures induced by said master and his PTSD, has almost been poisoned, has been shot by several arrows, and those are just the perilous situations he's been in since I've arrived.

So yeah, the world doesn't seem to like Ghirahim too much. But he's got one thing going for him: Me. Now, I'm not saying I'm anything great, because I'm not. But he could benefit from being in my company. Sometimes.

Back to the part where I said that I healed him—I did. But like I said, not in the way you'd think. I've got...well... I suppose the only way you could describe the ability I have is by calling it... _Magic._ I have magical healing powers. Pretty cool, I know, but it hurts like hell when I use it. It seems as though to take away someone's pain, I have to face some of my own, as if I was somehow absorbing their pain. And I'm okay with that. Pain is only a brief misfortune, but regret is a disease. I would know. My powers have their limitations. Meaning I can only use them so much without collapsing from exhaustion. So naturally, with Ghirahim getting hurt all the time, you can see where that would create a problem.

When Malice attacked Ghirahim that night, nearly killing him, he also attacked one of my other friends. He was one of the greatest people I've ever known, and I found him lying on the floor, dying, but I had little energy, and I couldn't heal him. I lost him.

His name was Herb.

"Hey," Ghirahim poked my shoulder. "You're doing that thing again."

I blinked in confusion, my mind jolting back to the present. "What?"

"Sometimes you zone out when I'm talking to you. It's really quite annoying."

I took a deep breath, trying to focus on the task at hand. I couldn't think about that. Trust me—dwelling on things you can never change will do nothing but tear you apart.

"Sorry. What were you saying?"

Ghirahim sighed, "I asked you whether or not we were actually going to do this. You'd better hurry up before I teleport out of here."

I rolled my eyes. "This won't be that bad. It's for your own good."

"Doubt it."

I led Ghirahim to the water's edge, throwing my towel onto a nearby rock. Ghirahim took off his cape, laying it delicately next to the towel.

I turned towards my companion, clasping my fingers together. "Everyone talks about drowning their inner demons. And in this world, I'm thinking that applies more to external ones. You know, like you. But how can Malice or Demise or anyone else do that if you, _the demon, _can swim?"

Ghirahim put his hands on his hips, staring into the water with a pale face. "I don't think any of that will matter if I drown now."

"That's not going to happen," I laughed. "Probably."

Ghirahim clenched his fists. "You're not helping."

I shrugged. "Not yet. You're not in the water yet. I can't teach you to swim on land."

Ghirahim groaned. "But it's going to be cold..."

I rolled my eyes. "You are such a child sometimes, Ghirahim." I dipped my toe in the water. It wasn't exactly warm. But he didn't know that. "It's perfect temperature. It'll be like taking a warm bath."

The demon lord said nothing, studying the water's service.

"Look," I folded my arms, standing in front of him. "With the Rebels after you, and now with Malice leading them, you can't let them have any advantages. What if they tried to drown you by throwing you into a deep lake?"

Ghirahim frowned. "If they really wanted to drown me, then they would probably bind my limbs, or perhaps knock me out first. They don't know I can't swim."

"Malice might."

"He probably doesn't."

"He does."

"What?" Ghirahim's eyes widened. "How does he know about my hydrophobia?"

I bit my lip. "I doesn't matter. My point is, they might try to take advantage of that and throw you into a deep lake or something, so what if you still hadn't learned to swim? You told me it's hard to warp when you're in perilous situations—something about the fear interfering with your concentration—so how would you survive?"

"You would save me, like you did before."

"And if I couldn't?"

"Then you're a terrible protector."

"Alright," I took a deep breath. "If I could, I definitely would save you. But look..." I sat on the ground, holding my arms behind my back. "I'm tied up. How could I save you?"

"Simple. Break the ropes with magic."

"They're magical ropes."

Ghirahim frowned. "Then I'll teach you to break out of magic bonds."

"Yes, alright, but what if—"

Ghirahim, encouraged, began to walk away. "We can actually go back to the manor and do that right now."

"Nope!" I grabbed onto his cape and yanked him back. "You're not getting out of this. You have to know how to swim."

"Well I'm not getting in."

I folded my arms again, chuckling. "Fine. Then I'll push you. It's not rocket science."

"You wouldn't."

I laughed again. "Yeah I would. See, look—I'm doing it right now." I started towards him, placing my hands on his shoulders.

I felt him tense at my touch and he wriggled away, twitching like a worm.

"Ghirahim, you need to calm down. It's not that bad," I soothed, grabbing his arm.

Ghirahim fought back, desperately trying to wrench his arm out of my grip. But his fear impaired his ability. "Says _you_, the one who _can swim_."

"And that could be you too, but you have to trust me," I pointed out, trying to keep my patience.

"It's hard to do that when you're pushing me to my death. In fact, I'm starting to think that you're a Rebel. Help!"

I grabbed onto his shoulders, trying once again to push him into the water. He shoved me back, trying to force me over the edge instead.

"Ghirahim, come on!" I grabbed onto him in some sort of hug of death and edged towards the side of the pool.

"Geroffme!" Ghirahim shouted, his voice muffled as my hand covered his mouth.

"Get off!"

"Get in!"

"No!"

"You're impossible!"

"I don't need to—"

Ghirahim's words turned into a yelp as he slipped, and I tripped over his foot. We both screamed as we fell into the water in a tangle of limbs.

I quickly let go of Ghirahim and surfaced. The demon lord was not nearly as graceful as he struggled to stay afloat with his flailing limbs.

"Help me! I'm going to drown!"

"Ghirahim—"

"Don't just stare—help me!"

"Ghirahim!"

"What?"

"The water is barely deeper than five feet. You can stand up."

Attempting to find his usual calm composure, Ghirahim managed to regain his footing.

He glared at me. "You said it wasn't cold."

"I lied."

"The cold stunned me, and that's why I panicked."

"Tragic."

Ghirahim tried to wring out his now sopping white hair. "I really hate this."

I waded over to him. "I know. You look like a wet cat."

He let out an irritated sigh. "May I remind you that this was _your_ idea? Instead of mocking me, I'd suggest you carry on with what you lured me here to do."

I scowled. "_Fine, _I guess we can start." I stood, shivering in the water for a few seconds, unsure what to say.

Ghirahim's eyes narrowed. "You really don't know what you're doing, do you?"

"No, no...I know what I'm doing it's just..." I lowered my head. "I don't exactly have a plan, but that's okay."

Ghirahim muttered something under his breath, but he didn't move.

"Okay, so..." I cleared my throat. "I uh... Let's learn how to tread water!"

And just like that, the lesson began. I wasn't the best teacher, but Ghirahim was a quick learner. He was quite good at treading water and the front crawl. I was more of a breaststroke kind of person, but that's all a matter of opinion, I suppose. I enjoyed having my head underwater, while he did not. I suppose it was easier to not think about the depth of the water if he kept his eyes higher than the water's surface, but I preferred being able to see everything.

While Ghirahim caught on fast to everything I taught him, he still hated the water. Swimming was an acquired taste, I guess. But I never said I was trying to make him like it—I just wanted him to be able to survive any more deep water experiences.

I still had fun teaching him, and I think he probably enjoyed parts of it as well, though he'd never admit it. The pool we were in was the one that led to the interior of the Great Tree, but I knew Ghirahim would die before taking that entrance, so I never brought it up. Another interesting thing about this specific body of water is the range of depths it has. I had made sure to try to push him into a depth where he could touch the bottom. A few feet forward, and the water would be above my head and up to his chin. With just a few feet more, the water would be about double my height. So, basically, it was easy to cover all the bases.

Ghirahim tried to mess with me throughout the lesson. For instance, when I would show him a new stroke, he not only asked me to demonstrate, he had me take his arms and show him the motion. You can imagine how that all went down. The funny part though, was that I really didn't mind. A couple years ago I would have died if I was faced with having to take part in so much physical contact, but at this point it didn't bother me anymore. I suppose after giving many hugs in this world and putting my hands on raw wounds, I had managed to overcome my...fear of sorts. So if I had to grab a friend's arm to show him how to swim, then that's what I would do. No big deal.

"Alright," I rested a hand on the grassy side of the pool. "I think we can stop for the day. I'm pretty sure you can swim well enough to survive any further encounters you have with deep water."

Ghirahim blinked at me in amusement. "Are you getting tired, My Little Remlit?"

I rolled my eyes. "Maybe a bit. But I'm still not '_your little_' anything."

I began to pull myself out of the water, but Ghirahim grabbed my under the arms and pulled me back. I laughed, fighting against him, and we churned about in the water for a few moments. I splashed him in the face; he dunked my head underwater. I nearly tackled him, and then I started tickling him underwater. It ended when he picked me up, practically cradling me.

"Can you not?" I whined, trying to escape.

My companion smiled, his grip not faltering. Then he waded over to the side, laying me in the grass before crawling out himself.

I retrieved my towel from the boulder, wrapping it around my shoulders. Ghirahim stared at me as I did this, carefully picking up his cape. He frowned. "Why didn't you tell me to bring a towel?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. I didn't think it was necessary... I mean, considering you knew what the plan was..."

"But I didn't bring one."

"Sad day."

Ghirahim stood there, shivering. Eventually I rolled my eyes and tossed him the towel. The demon lord quickly used the towel to dried off, wrung it out, and handed it back to me.

"Should we head back?" I asked. "I'm worried about Link."

Ghirahim nodded. "And you should be. If he so much as puts a toe out of his cell—"

"_Room."_

_ "—_I _will_ personally end him without a second thought."

I sighed. "Look, Ghir. He's just trying to get his friend back. Now that his journey doesn't. inconvenience you anymore, can you please _try _to be a little nicer to him?"

"No, I can not."

I put my hands on my hips. "Well why _not_? He's a great guy. Can you just give him a chance?"

"I did give him a chance," Ghirahim muttered. "And he earned me a brutal beating from my master."

"_Former Master,_" I corrected him. "That's Malice's problem now. Don't you think the best way to spite him, _and Demise_ would be to make his mission even harder? I mean, you know how bad Demise used to treat you. If we help Link, and we stop Malice from succeeding, he'll get his share of the beatings, and Demise will realize just how big a mistake he made. Don't you want that?"

Ghirahim said nothing, and I could tell that he was having trouble thinking of an argument for that.

"Malice has no clue what he's doing, but you do. You know exactly how to mess him up. By helping Link, you can make his life a living Hell. You'd like that, wouldn't you?"

Ghirahim sighed, putting his hands on his hips. "Fine, but I'm not going to hug him or any of that friendship shit."

* * *

**So about that part in bold and italics in the middle. You know that part at the beginning of chapter one in italics? That's what I rewrote and am going to soon change, and the new one will be bold and italicized as well. So the reason of this is that this story, as I hope you can tell, is being told as if it has already happened. Think of it like a journal or something. Since this was originally going to be a personal project that I would print out, the finished product would have that part in a writing like font and stuff, but there's only so much that transfers to fanfiction. So think about this as if this is Marissa's story written by her, and the bold parts are what she wrote on after recording the original story. It'll make more sense soon. Hopefully.**

**Like always, if you could leave a review and maybe a fav/follow, that would be great. You guys have almost got me to 500 reviews and we have only just started the third book. Thanks so much!**

**Hope your 2016 is a good one! Here's to making a year to remember. **

**Cheers.**

**~Catwhiskers24~**


	64. Chapter 2-1: Glaring Contest

**Greetings people of Earth. This is Cat coming at you with another update this fine winter evening.**

**As some of you may have seen, I have recently updated chapter one(chapter two if you count the prologue) and it is substantially better I think. I've edited minor things for other chapters, which I will soon update as well, but in the meantime, feel free to check out the new beginning at your leisure.**

**Moving on, an update on my emotional friend situation-it's better. He apologized, which was the closure I didn't realize I needed so badly. We are on better terms though I no longer stress myself out over him.**

**I literally am exhausted right now so I'm just gonna shut up.**

**Disclsimer: See Disclsimer of the last thirty chapters.**

* * *

**Ghirahim's POV**

I let out a sigh as I sat in my room. It would be hard now, to find a way to spend my life. I'd always imagined that in the end it would always be my master and I. And now... now I didn't know what to expect anymore.

"It's time."

I turned around, barely acknowledging Leal's presence. I hadn't heard him come in.

"Time for what, exactly?"

Leal straightened, a determined look in his worn eyes. "You know, My Lord. You know what I'm referring to."

I blinked. "Oh, that. That can wait."

"No it cannot," Leal protested. "The estate has been waiting long enough."

"I just need a little more time," I muttered. "I'll figure it out."

Leal sighed. "Perhaps if you just talk to the girl about..."

"No." I stood up, glowering down at him. "There's no way I am doing that. It would only ruin things between us."

"Then shall I call them in again?"

I said nothing, staring at the ground.

"Master, we are running out of time," Leal insisted. "Your people will be in a state of shock when they find out that you are no longer following Demise. It would help if you at least have this settled."

I drew a hand down my face. "Perhaps if..." I looked away. "Has there been any sign of her?"

Leal shook his head. "I'm sorry, Master. But we can keep looking."

"No," I sat down with a sigh. "If I must do this... Then call them in."

Leal bowed. "Very well. I'll send out word."

* * *

**Marissa's POV**

"Does it hurt when I do this?"

Link winced, shifting his head away from my hand. "Yes. A lot."

I bit my lip. "Well, it seems to me that you might have a minor concussion. But I think you'll be okay."

"Alright, but..." Link lifted the hem of his shirt slightly, revealing a patch of bruised, burned, and scraped skin. "Do you think you can do anything about this?"

I winced in empathy. "Yeah, of course. Why do you think I brought you to the infirmary?"

Link let out a breath of relief. "Thanks."

"Lie down," I requested, moving to the side of the bed.

Link complied, grimacing as he stretched out.

"Now, I'm going to do something. It's going to be strange at first, but just give it a chance."

"Alright," Link sighed. "Do what you need to."

"Thanks," I smiled. "You're much easier to work with than Ghirahim. He always tenses up when I so much as tap his shoulder. He's real fussy. So, naturally, healing him can be a pain in the ass when he's being difficult."

Link laughed quietly. "You two seem like you have a strange relationship."

"Oh, don't even get me started," I breathed, lifting up his shirt.

Link winced as I exposed the damaged skin on his belly. "Where are your... You know... Medical supplies?"

"I shouldn't need any," I answered, biting my lip. "This should be easy enough. Sorry in advance if my hands are cold."

"That's alright..." His eyes suddenly widened. "Wait, what?"

I took a deep breath, placing my hands over his stomach. "Look at that—you've got muscle now!"

Link laughed again, but the action seemed to hurt him. "Yeah, that'll happen when you chase someone over the span of an entire map."

I smiled weakly. "Sorry you got stuck with this burden. I know it's tough. But it'll pay off in the end."

"How do you know?"

I winked at him. "I've got a good hunch."

Link let out a sigh. "I guess I should be the one apologizing. You're the one who got mixed up in all of this because of me. You'd never have been stuck with Ghirahim if you hadn't tried to help me."

"Oh..." I lowered my eyes, shaking my head. "No... There was nothing you could have done. This is my destiny, I suppose. But I'm not stuck with him. I choose to stay with him."

Link nodded slowly. "How did you guys get this way? I mean, last time I saw you two together, you, you know... stabbed him. And now you two are acting like an old married couple."

I laughed quietly. "Alright, first, we do _not _act likean old married couple. And second, to answer your question... A lot can happen in a few weeks."

Link nodded slowly. "I can understand that."

I cleared my throat. "Now, back to the healing. Just remember... The blue light is normal."

"Wait, stop." Link looked concerned. "What blue light?"

I ignored him. "Here we go."

Link let out a little gasp as I began to heal him, his entire trunk glowing with an azure light. In seconds it was over, and Link's chest and abdomen were healed.

Link stared at me, his mouth agape. "How... How...?"

I gave him a mischievous smile. "All in good time, Link. All in good time."

* * *

Ghirahim found me sitting on a bed in the infirmary. Link was asleep on the next cot over.

Ghirahim took a seat next to me. "Did you tell him?"

I shook my head. "Not yet. I thought he should rest."

Ghirahim nodded slowly as I continued to stare at Link.

"Herb used to sleep here," I stated suddenly, my voice low. "I'd find him in here, collapsed on a cot usually. Or sometimes he'd be somewhere else." I pointed to the back room, a tiny closet Herb used as an office. "Sometimes I'd find him in there. Other times I'd find him somewhere on the floor. Just lying there. Then I'd drag him to one of the cots, and I'd lift him onto it. He was so light. Sometimes I wondered if he ever ate, or even went anywhere to sleep. Sometimes I wondered if he never even decided to rest, that he just worked until he collapsed with exhaustion, and then just went with it. It wouldn't surprise me."

Ghirahim followed my gaze as I continued. "Sometimes I'd tuck him in if I found him on a cot like that. And whatever I did, if I woke him, he would always insist that he was done sleeping for the day, that if he was really tired, I wouldn't be able to wake him. But he was lying. He was always tired. I could see it in his eyes."

I fought back a lump in my throat. "No one ever took care of him. I never really thought about it, but now I realize that I never saw anyone else come to just visit him. He didn't have any family, did he?"

Ghirahim shook his head. "Not that I know of."

I nodded slowly. "I should have visited him more often. He was so selfless.. He never let anyone know that he was lonely. It's only just occurring to me now. We were the only friends he really had. I wish I'd realized that before; I really should've."

Ghirahim stared ahead. "Perhaps I should have too."

We were silent for a bit. Then I leaned my head against Ghirahim's shoulder. "I miss him so much. It's hard to accept that he's gone."

I hadn't visited Herb's grave since that day, and I doubted I would. I didn't know how I could, now that I was realizing just how much death could sting.

The demon lord didn't say anything more. He continued to stare straight forward, his eyes glazed. We stayed like that for a long time.

* * *

Now, I'm not saying eating dinner with a dozen demon lords isn't strange, but I'd gotten use to it. When Ghirahim was in one of his moods, I'd strike up a conversation with Platnox or one of the other demon lords. Don't be misled by the word demon, because that's all it is—a word. Some of the demons I met in Ghirahim's manor were better people than a dozen of the fake teens who go to my school. Being a demon, as it turns out, _does not, _make you inherently evil. Many of the lords were incredible people with nice families. They just happened to reside in the land of my enemy.

I'll admit, I've pushed Ghirahim at dinner before. I mean, thinking about that time I pretended to be a dog while he tried to hold a conversation with his colleagues, I'd been testing him since that first day. I'd started a food fight, spoken out of turn, said things to embarrass him, the whole nine yards. A few times I'd even convinced him to let a few servants eat at the table. _Servants. _But it was usually only Brook or Leal, and the only reason Ghirahim would ever agree to it would be that we'd come to dinner late so there was plenty of room as we'd missed the main, formal meal.

So yeah, I'd tested Ghirahim in some ridiculous ways. But none of them even came near to the time that I tried to convince him to let Link sit at the table and eat with us.

"_No._"

"Come on Ghir," I walked into his room. "Have a heart. Link hasn't eaten in who _knows _how long. He won't be able to fight Malice if he's weak."

Ghirahim adjusted his mantle in his mirror. "I don't care."

I put my hands on my hips. "You said you'd be nicer to Link. This would be a good start. Besides, you wouldn't even have to look at him. He'll sit next to me."

"Absolutely not," Ghirahim snapped. "He's a bad influence."

I frowned. "Actually, I think he's about as far from a bad influence as you can get. He's a hero. He's selfless, brave, and kind. You could work on a couple of those."

"I'm brave!" Ghirahim protested. "And selfless, too! And kindness is for the weak."

"Kindness is the reason you're still alive," I retorted. It was something like kindness that made me pull you out of that pool. It's been my desire to be kind that has driven me to heal you, so don't for one second believe kindness is not important."

"Fine." Ghirahim rolled his eyes. "But I'm still brave and selfless."

"Brave, sure. But selfless...well... You're getting there."

"I'm selfless," Ghirahim said. "But only when it comes to people who are most important to me. Demise, mainly. If anyone, I would give my life up for him."

"_Would have_," I corrected again. "And I'm pretty sure selflessness is more than that. But nevermind. We're getting sidetracked."

Ghirahim heaved a long, exasperated sigh. "Fine. If it means that much to you, then the boy can eat. But if he so much as says a single _syllable _out of turn..." Ghirahim made a motion that hinted at a brutal death for the swordsman.

"Right, well he won't."

"Very well. Then retrieve the boy and meet me in the dining room in five."

"Thanks!" I gave him a cheesy grin and skipped over to Link's temporary room. It was a room for an old servant who'd gone traitorous. Bet you can't guess which one.

I knocked on the rotting slab of wood that somehow worked as a door. "Link?"

"Yeah?"

I walked in. "Hey. You hungry?"

Link, who was lying on his old, creaky mattress, blinked at me in surprise. "Ghirahim's actually going to let me east with you guys?"

I nodded. "It only took a bit of convincing."

Link smiled weakly, something I hadn't seen since we brought him to the manor the day before.

"Thanks Marissa."

I smiled back. "Anytime, Linky."

Link made a face. "Do you have to call me that?"

"Well, now that I know you hate it so much..." I grinned. "Absolutely."

Rolling his eyes, Link got off his bed, wincing.

I looked at him in concern "You still hurt?"

Link shook his head. "No, just sore."

"Well, you'll feel better in the morning. You won't have to sleep in a cell like last night. I'll bring you some of my pillows and blankets since you don't seem to have any. It'll be great."

"That is, if Ghirahim doesn't try to kill me in my sleep."

"He might try," I admitted, "but I won't let him."

Another weak smile.

* * *

The moment that we set foot in the dining room, a hushed silence fell over the room. Ghirahim's gaze locked with Link's, and neither looked away as I sat down next to Ghirahim. Link took the seat on my other side.

A few of the other nobles began talking again, but Ghirahim and Link continued to glare across me at each other.

As soon as Platnox spoke, I wanted to hug him for breaking the awkward silence.

"So," he leaned across the table and looked at Link and me in turn. "Is this a new food taster? You know, so there aren't any more incidents with poison?" He made a choking motion around his neck.

Link, still not looking away from his enemy, made a face of alarm when Platnox said this.

I laughed nervously. "Nah, Plat. This is Link. He's a friend. Besides, I don't think he can hold his arsenic like you can."

"It was hemlock." Ghirahim corrected, though he also did not look away.

"A friend you say..." Platnox lifted his eyebrows and nodded to Ghirahim. "I take it he's a mutual friend?"

"Definitely," I stated dryly.

Platnox was quiet for a while after that, the tension apparently too much for even him to handle.

If you guys don't already know, trying to eat while in the middle of two people having a glaring contest is kind of... I don't know... _awkward._

I didn't take long until I'd had enough.

"Come on guys. Can you two just behave... for _ten _minutes?"

Neither moved a muscle.

"Cut it out!"

Finally, unnerved by their unblinking gazes, I grabbed both by pointed ear and dragged them out to the hallway.

Ghirahim struggled to get free. "Let go!"

"Ear, ear, ow, ow," Link winced.

I let go of both and turned to face them.

"You two are going to drive me insane!" I exclaimed. "Why can't you just get along?"

Ghirahim's glare shifted to my face. "He's my mortal enemy!"

I rooked my eyes. "Oh, Ghirahim, stop being so melodramatic. He's not your mortal enemy."

"Yes he is. He's stood in my way since the moment I first laid eyes on him. He's slaughtered countless numbers of my underlings, and now he's in my home." Ghirahim's eyes blazed. "I can't do this. I know I said I'd try to tolerate him, but I can't. I need my revenge. I'm going to make him suffer; I'm going to make his ears bleed with the sound of his own raw screams as I—"

"Ghirahim?"

"What?"

"_Shut up."_

I turned to Link. "You aren't exactly innocent either. You could have just been the bigger man and ignored him."

Link lowered his eyes. "I know. I'm sorry, Marissa."

I smiled at him gently. It was impossible to stay mad at Link.

"It's alright." I glanced at Ghirahim briefly, narrowing my eyes at him before looking back. "At least you didn't threaten anyone."

Ghirahim let out a dramatic sigh from behind me. "Of course you're taking his side! Why am I not surprised?"

I folded my arms. "I'm not trying to take anyone's side. I just want you two to get along. Please?"

They both looked away. My shoulders slumped.

"Whatever. I think we just need some rest. Everyone will feel better in the morning."

The words had barely left my mouth before Ghirahim had disappeared, and I was left to walk Link back up to his room.

* * *

**Tension is in the air**.

**This is a remade version of a chapter I wrote in my old, terrible notebook version of this story, so it brings back the memories.**

**Anyway, it's good to see your enthusiasm for the next part of this story, and I look forward to seeing what you all have to say? Review...? :)**

**Have a nice week. And remember, things do get better. Never forget that.**

**~Catwhiskers24~**


	65. Chapter 2-3: Another Little Remlit

**Happy MLKJr day! **

**Here's the latest chapter, written just for you guys! **

**I feel like I have a ton of other stuff to say, but now I can't think of anything. **

**Well... Umm... Yeah**

**Disclaimer: I do not own LOZ**

* * *

_"Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase."_

_"We must build dikes of courage to hold back the flood of fear."_

_"Let no man pull you low enough to hate him."_

_"I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear."_

_"I submit to you that if a man has not discovered something that he will die for, he isn't fit to live."_

_"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can."_

**_"Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into friend."_**

~Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929-1968)

* * *

**Marissa's POV**

The night is peaceful. The night _should _be peaceful. It usually is, too. But not for everyone.

_Red. Bright red. Red on the walls. Red on the floor. Red everywhere. The lifeblood of everything that walks and breathes, spilt from its host like lies from a terrified sinner at his final judgment. _

_ He writhed and moaned and shrieked, his body torn open and bleeding dry. I stood there, my knees locked and stiff, my feet plastered to the floor. There was nothing in the room. Nothing but me and him. A single light illuminated him as he laid, gasping in ragged breaths, like the main event of a performance for the wicked. _

_ Shadows gathered into the light out of the corner of my eye, transforming into malevolent beasts with frothing blood dripping from their ruined jaws. They circled their maimed prey, snarling silently. Then beast converged onto beast, tearing one other apart with all of nature's unforgiving ferocity. _

_ The beasts soon melted back into the flickering shadows, and suddenly my knees were unlocked, and I could finally move again. But by then it was too late. I ran to Ghirahim's side, but he was lying ominously still. His face was stone pale and blank as a slate, his eyes half-open and empty, staring, glazed, at a ceiling that wasn't there._

_ I reached for him, reached for his face, but my fingers passed through his skin. I couldn't react. I didn't know how. A swirl of emotions bombarded me, but I fought them back, tooth and claw, before I could think twice about it. And then there was nothing. There was silence, there was darkness, there was emptiness. And that was all there was._

_ A gaping wound on his chest was clearly the cause of his death; it was impossible to tell how deep it was, but it was possible that it was all the way through. I felt a surge of pain, deep inside, as if my own heart was bleeding. Pain turned into agony, and I staggered back. I looked down slowly, and then I let out a soundless shriek. I had a matching hole in my own body, and I could feel every ounce of the pain. _

_ I desperately to block it all out, but I couldn't. For the first time in my life, I couldn't just shove down my pain. I felt it for every breath I took, and for every drop of warm blood that dripped down my front._

_ And suddenly, as quickly as it had begun, it ended. It was gone, all gone. All the pain, inside and out, Ghirahim's body, the shadows. All of it. And it all blended together to form an empty oblivion._

_ Terror gripped me. I couldn't feel, see, hear, taste, or even smell anything. It was like I was unconscious, but I was somehow conscious of my unconsciousness. I tried to move, tried to speak, to scream, but nothing worked. Blurred images flickered occasionally before me, but they cut in and out, more and more blurred each time, the sound of static in my ears. Strange, dulled shapes appeared before me, accompanied by the noise of some machine. Between the noise and the patterns of the shapes, I could almost hear a melody in the chaos._

_ I was on the brink of madness, but then I blinked, and when I opened my eyes, I was back in that dark room. But there was no blood in this scene. Ghirahim was standing at my side, completely alive. But not safe._

_ We weren't alone this time. A third person stood across from us, his ginger hair clumped with his own blood. He was shaking, his fingers quivering as he attempted to keep a hold on the knife pointing at Ghirahim's chest._

_ Something seemed to turn his nerves to steel, though, because he turned rigid just moments after I comprehended his presence. Something new and crazy entered his gaze, and he lunged forward, his moves muffled as time slowed. The mechanic melody that I'd heard earlier suddenly blared in my ears as I watched the knife heading towards Ghirahim, and suddenly, without thinking, I jumped in front of him. As soon as the knife point touched me, cold and unforgiving against my skin, every noise and image immediately ceased, and the dream turned to nothing once again._

I gasped in a huge gulp of air, jolting awake. My shoulders and neck were damp with cold sweat. I sat in the darkness for a few moments, catching my breath. Then I laid back again, putting my arm over my eyes. It was a dream. It was all just a dream.

I adjusted the strap of my tanktop and rotated my shoulders. I doubted I could fall back asleep. My heart felt like it was going to burst, beating itself senseless against the inside of my ribcage.

After a few deep breaths, I stopped shaking, and I felt myself begin to calm down, if only just a bit.

I half considered walking over to Ghirahim's room, but I stopped myself. If he was actually asleep, I definitely didn't want to wake him up. And if he wasn't... I had no idea what I would tell him without feeling six years old.

I turned over and adjusted my blankets, but the hairs on my arms would not lie flat, and I felt strange. Like I wasn't alone.

Just as this thought entered my mind, I heard something. Or at least, I thought I did. I thought I heard something scratching at my window.

My blood turned to ice moments later as the sound returned. Shaking, I got out of bed and glided over to my window. I almost didn't want to look. It was as if just looking at it would make it worse. It truly is the worst thing you can do, tempting your imagination.

Even still, I knew I had to find out what that thing was. It was probably nothing, anyway. Reassuring myself with that thought, I moved closer to my window. Boy had I been wrong.

I soon regretted looking out the window, my heart stopping as my eyes met a pair of luminous yellow ones. They quickly disappeared, and there was a blur of movement as something sped away from my windowsill, where it must have been balancing.

I bit back a scream and stumbled away, gasping. There really _was_ something out there.

I couldn't breathe. I was petrified with fear. And then, with the next trick of the light, my legs were suddenly carrying me out of my room.

All of a sudden I felt like a child again, frightened by a sound or shadow in the night, fleeing to the refuge of my parents' room. It's funny, how frightened a person can become, just by being fooled by a trick of the light. For years I would look around my room, and I'd see things that weren't there, monsters hiding between the clothes in my closet, unsettling shapes staring down at me from the ceiling. I always knew that I was only imagining them, but I'd refuse to look too closely at anything strange on the off chance that something really was there, and that looking at it would just seal my fate.

I used to go to my friend Allison's house a lot. Of course, I did go more often before I ever discovered the portal. You probably remember me mentioning her name a couple of times in my last journal. But I'm not even sure how to explain my relationship with her. We're best friends back on Earth, having known each other since first grade. We were in the same Girl Scouts troop together. Funny thing was, back in those days, a simpler time, Allison and I were both tomboys to varying degrees. I mean, I at least didn't actually consider myself a boy, but I didn't act like a girl. I preferred playing with cars and animals instead of dolls; I preferred blue and green to pink. So I suppose it was ironic that we were in _Girl Scouts_ of all things, and for like eight years at that. But we were always in it to explore forests and learn survival skills.

I remembered many instances where I'd run with her through the woods, exploring the various clearings. We'd come up with spooky stories about the different places in the forest, and then they'd never feel the same again.

She went to a different middle school, but since reuniting in high school, we've been best friends. We have our differences. I mean, I'm polite; she doesn't mind being rude, she has a temper; I hold things in. In some aspects, our personalities couldn't be more different. So why were we best friends? Part of that may be due to our shared interests. We both loved video games, action movies, reading, writing. We were creative partners. We made movies together. We would talk about books we've read, books we intend on reading, books we plan on writing.

So despite our differences, maybe it was due to the fact we had so many common interests that we got along so well. Or maybe we completed each others personalities. Or maybe we're just two teenage girls trying to get through high school together.

Either way, our friendship was a bit strange. But even still, there were many Saturdays on which you could find me at her house, talking about boys and books and life in general. Allison's house was the only place you could hear me singing country songs at the top of my lungs as we sat on her swing set and talked.

So why am I telling you about this? It's simple. Best friends have sleepovers, and we've had our fair share of them. Most of which were at her house, for reasons that you'll understand later. Anyway, Allison always seemed to go to sleep first, and she'd send me down to the spare bedroom in her basement for the night. Now this wouldn't be so bad if not for two things.

One, she had a habit of showing me videos with some degree of creepiness in them. Great, right? And that leads me to the second thing: that room had a strange vibe to it. It was at the beginning of a long, dark hallway that was right across from their utility room. Naturally, that meant I could hear the air conditioner starting in the middle of the night, the creaks of the furnace... You get the picture. Too, my friend and her sister stored some old toys down there, like old Barbies, with their faces turned so that they were looking right at the bed, or maybe slightly below.

Worst of all, that room was dark. Like, _really dark._ When the doors were closed and the lights were off, the room was pitch-black. So after watching somewhat disturbing videos or movies, you probably see now how sleeping in a dark basement might be...undesirable. Especially when it was late at night, when my eyes could easily play tricks on my weary mind.

It's funny. I've never thought of myself as being afraid of the dark, because I'm not. But I've got a vivid imagination, which can fill the darkness with just about anything. So maybe I'm not scared of the dark. Maybe I'm scared of the things that just might be in it. Maybe that's how everyone else is. Maybe Ghirahim isn't scared of water, or of heights. Maybe he's scared of drowning, of falling.

I'm not sure how long it took for these flashbacks to enlighten me, but it felt like a while. My heartbeat had slowed, and I began to wonder if I'd just imagined that creature. But as soon as I turned around, those yellow eyes were back in my window, staring right at me.

I bolted into Ghirahim's room without a second thought.

"Ghirahim, Ghirahim, wake up!"

Ghirahim let out a groan as I began to shake him. "Sky Child...?" He yawned, his voice thick with sleep.

"There's something out there!"

Ghirahim rubbed his eyes. "Out where?"

"Outside! It was at my window, and now I don't know where it went!"

"Alright, alright. I'll come take a look. But for Din's sake, stop _yelling_." Scowling, Ghirahim slid out of bed, and I felt guilty for disrupting one of his rare nights of rest. He staggered a little, following me down the hallway. I grabbed his arm nervously, and he looked down at me with something like amusement in his gaze.

"It's alright," he assured me. "You're safe."

I led him into my room, my grip tightening around his arm. We walked to my window, but the creature had disappeared.

"But it was here just a moment ago..." I protested, staring out the glass pane in confusion.

Ghirahim rubbed his eyes. "I'm tired, Little Remlit, and I'm sure you are too. I'd suggest you go back to sleep."

"But..." I frowned.

Just as Ghirahim turned to leave, my door flung open, and I screamed. The intruder screamed as well, but his was lower. Just a bit.

"_Link?_" I exclaimed, staring at the familiar newcomer in confusion. "What are you doing here? You scared the hell out of me!"

"Sorry," the boy apologized, "but I saw some strange creature out my window, and I was hoping one of you knew what it was."

I shook my head. "That's what we're trying to find out. Do you know where it went?"

Link frowned. "I think I saw a dark blur head around the side of the building. It almost looked like it was heading towards the main entrance."

"Leal!" I exclaimed, grabbing Ghirahim's arm again. "Maybe he's seen something! He's on guard duty, right?"

"Yes," Ghirahim nodded. "But I don't know if he would look out the window. He gets tired, and he sometimes lets his guard down."

"Come on then," I dragged the demon lord towards the door, Link in tow. "We need to warn him!"

The three of us crept quietly down the stairs. What could the creature be? Some sort of canon _Zelda_ creature? Or was it some sort of urban legend, like The Rake? I was nearly shaking as all sorts of possibilities tormented me in turn. In this world, there were no limits on what could surprise me next.

When we reached the entrance to the manor, we soon discovered that Link had been right. Leal stood a few feet away from the door, his face pale, as something clawed at the door.

I started shaking, and without thinking, I grabbed Ghirahim's hand. He seemed surprised, but then he squeezed my fingers, as if trying to comfort me.

"Well..." my throat was dry. "I think it's time we know what this thing is."

Ghirahim nodded, his expression grim. He summoned his rapier, and Link grabbed a lamp from a nearby table, as Ghirahim had confiscated his weapons.

"Uh..." I wrapped my free hand around the handle, flinching as the cold surface made my

fingers tingle. "Here goes nothing..." I swallowed. "Three...two... one..."

I flung open the door and screamed. Link and Ghirahim both tensed, and Ghirahim took a step, as if to get in front of me.

"Oh..." I laughed suddenly. "It's just a Remlit."

A small, furry face looked up at me, blinking luminous yellow eyes.

"Careful," Ghirahim warned, watching me lean down to touch the cat-like creature's head.

Startled by my movement, it fluffed up its fur, baring long, pointed teeth at me.

"Hey," I cooed, "we're not going to hurt you. Come here." I dropped to me knees, offering the Remlit a hand. It tentatively sniffed my fingers, and then its fur flattened as it rubbed its muzzle against my hand.

"That's a good boy," I muttered. "You're teeth are real sharp, aren't they? You're like a little saber-toothed tiger." I smiled. "In fact, that's a good name for you, isn't it? How about I call you Tiger?"

The Remlit purred agreement, and I stroked my hand against its cheek. "Aww... It's cute."

"Not so fast," Ghirahim cut in. "You are not going to _name _that thing. Naming it means getting attached to it, and getting attached to it means keeping it."

I carefully picked up the little bundle of fur. "Exactly!"

Ghirahim blocked the door. "No. You are not bringing that _thing _into my manor!"

"Yes I am. It's cold out here."

Ghirahim continued to glare at me. "It's filthy, vicious, and an accident waiting to happen."

"Oh yeah?" I raised my eyebrows. "What Remlit incident did you have when you were younger?"

"That's not the point," he sighed.  
I rolled my eyes. "Oh come on, Ghir. You wouldn't want the little kitten to freeze out here, would you?" I placed a hand on his chest, making him tense up. "I knew you were cold hearted, but this is just cruel."

Ghirahim placed a hand over my hand, and then slowly pried my fingers from his skin. "I'm sure he will be fine..."

I adjusted my grip around the creature, only to touch my fingers to a warm liquid on his fur. My eyes widened. "Wait, this is blood! He's hurt!"

Ghirahim lowered his gaze. "How badly?"

I shrugged. "I don't know yet. I need to bring him in."

To my relief, Ghirahim reluctantly moved aside, allowing me to carry the Remlit inside.

As soon as we carried him into the light, the problem became apparent.

"One of his back legs... It's missing!" I exclaimed, cradling Tiger in my arms. "Poor baby." The flab of skin covering the stump that used to be his right back leg was red and ragged. I wasn't sure when or how he had lost his leg, but it was apparent that his wound was infected.

I placed a finger on the wound, making the small creature hiss in pain. "Sorry, sweetie," I muttered. "It's going to be fine."

It took little effort to heal the skin on his stump-leg, and I smiled as Tiger seemed to relax a bit. "Better?" I chuckled, setting him down.

Ghirahim stared at Tiger in disgust. "It has only three legs. We should put it out of its misery."

"No!" I stood in front of Tiger. "He's perfect."

Link was staring at the creature quizzically. "At first I was confused how it could be moving around the building so fast, but I guess it must have been flying with its ears, just like every other Remlit can. But if it really is like the Remlits on Skyloft, then why is it not, you know, tearing us apart right now? It is night, after all."

Ghirahim put a finger to his chin. "It's hard to tell," he answered, his hatred for the swordsman temporarily forgotten. "Perhaps its injury caused it to seek help from us. I suppose we've now gained its trust."

Link nodded slowly.

"Come on, Tiger," I said, picking him up again. "Let's get you something to eat."

"Sky Child!" Ghirahim snapped. "You are not keeping that thing!"

"Yes we are," I retorted. "I'm sure you can handle another '_Little Remlit'_."

The demon lord scowled, following me towards the kitchen. One of the bokoblin chefs was kind enough to fetch a few strips of leftover Cucco meat and a platter of water.

I set down Tiger, and he hopped over to the food, eating the meat up hungrily. I realized that I could see it's tiny ribs through its matted pelt. I petted him as he lapped up his water. Tiger was finished with his meal in mere seconds, and he began to purr as I continued to pet him.

"See? Now he's happy!"

Ghirahim wrinkled his nose in disgust. "I don't see why you'd want to be anywhere near that _monster._"

"Because he's adorable. And fluffy. _Real _fluffy."

I picked up the Remlit and placed it in Ghirahim's arms before the demon had a chance to stop me. "See?"

Ghirahim let out a sigh as he held the creature in front of his face. "I suppose its pelt is somewhat pleasurable to the touch. But I still do not understand what you people see in these pint-sized predators."

I rolled my eyes. Then I smirked, feigning a shocked expression. "Wait, I think he's trying to tell me something!" I leaned forward, putting my ear near the Remlit's little muzzle. "Yeah? OK. I'll tell him." I backed up. "Tiger says you're just jealous of... How did he put it...? His 'stunning features'? I don't know. His words, not mine."

Ghirahim rolled his eyes. "Fine. I'll admit... It is somewhat..._cute._"

Tiger purred and licked the tip of the demon's nose, blinking at him warmly.

Ghirahim made a face, disgusted, and shoved the animal back into my arms. Tiger continued to purr, batting at Ghirahim's cheek before the demon could get away.

"Aww, he likes you!" Link teased.

Ghirahim sent him a simmering glare.

Link cleared his throat. "Well, this has been fun and all, but I have a long day of being your prisoner tomorrow, so I should be getting back to sleep."

"Me too," I yawned. "This has been enough adventuring for one night, I think."

Ghirahim nodded, and the three of us (four including Tiger) headed back up to our respective rooms.

* * *

**Ghirahim's POV**

I dragged my weary feet to my bed, collapsing onto the soft surface. I had a feeling I wouldn't have much trouble falling asleep.

I climbed under the covers, closing my eyes as I laid against the pillow. Before I could sleep, however, I was disturbed by a strange noise. I stared around the room nervously. _What could it possibly be this time?_

I jumped as something furry brushed against my arm. I looked down to see the Remlit—Tiger, was it?—nuzzling against my arm. I pushed it away, but it came right back, purring louder and louder.

I heard footsteps, and then the girl appeared in my doorway. "Ghir, have you seen..." She trailed off as she saw the Remlit next to me. "Oh, there you are, Tiger."

"Why don't I take him back to your room?" I suggested.

She shook her head. "No. I think he's more comfortable here. Maybe he can protect you."

I laughed dryly. "I have no doubt that if anything relatively dangerous came along, Tiger would hide behind me in a split second."

She shrugged. "You never know. Anyway, 'night, Ghirahim," she smiled, "and Tiger."

Moments after she disappeared back into her room, the Remlit began to knead the blankets of my bed, pacing for a few seconds, and then slipping its head underneath my arm. It covered its eyes with its enormous ears, wrapped its tail around its nose, and began purring softly against my side.

I hate to admit it, but the feeling actually wasn't terrible, and I fell asleep to contented purring and soft fur pressed against my skin.

* * *

**Marissa's POV**

Before I could open my door, someone tapped on my shoulder.

I turned around. "Link?" I frowned at him. "Is everything okay?"

"I'm alright, Marissa. But I have to leave soon. I have to return to Skyloft. I can't waste any more time."

I lowered my eyes. I'd been enjoying having Link with me in the manor, but I'd always known it couldn't last.

"I know," I said quietly. "But don't worry—I've got a plan."

* * *

**So after a few chapters of exposition and fluff, it seems we are about to get back to the action. Yay!**

**...I think.**

**Because I'm posting today of all days, I decided to include some of my favorite quotes of the man of the hour(or day, I guess.) A lot of his quotes have inspired me. Especially in writing this story. I mean, the last quote especially really relates to the major themes of this story. Some of the other quotes have also helped in my developing of Marissa's original character, and the character she will have become by the end of this. They kind of helped me decide what traits I wanted her to have at the beginning, as well as the ones I wanted her to develop along the way. Martin Luther King, Jr. is one of my greatest heros inspirations, and I'm just happy to be writing something that relates to some of his ideals.**

**Anyway...**

**As always, reviews/favs/follows would be fabulous!**

**I should probably be getting back to my homework...**

**~Catwhiskers24~**


	66. Chapter 2-4: Gum and Freedom

**I'm back. I really have a thing for being late, don't I? What can I say..? These past few weeks have been physically and emotionally draining. I guess I can't complain much. There are much, much worse lives to live. In fact, I'm grateful for the one I do have.**

**I can't make any promises, but this chapter was mostly finished earlier this week, so I might, _MIGHT _have enough energy to post again in the next day or two. Reading does help console me, so it's more of you guys doing me a favor than the other way around.**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own LOZ, and I'm too lazy to do my usual long disclaimer, so... yeah. This is my story.**

* * *

**Ghirahim's POV**

I awoke the next morning to cold sheets and an indent from where the Remlit had been sleeping the night prior. I stretched, rubbed sleep from my eyes, and stood.

My neck was stiff, but the rest of my body was rested, so I felt refreshed. I got dressed for the day, planning to collect the girl and going to breakfast before attending matters in my court for the rest if the day. She would go to the hospital wing, and then we wouldn't see each other until dinner. That's how it had been for the past few days. Everything seemed to be at a standstill. It was as if neither of us knew how to proceed, which, I suppose, was accurate enough. Even so, I felt as though a small change was necessary. Perhaps I would visit the girl for lunch.

As I changed into my normal outfit, I examined the skin on my chest and stomach. So many scars covered the surface of my skin that my body was almost beginning to look foreign. Even so, perhaps I shouldn't feel that way, as each scar was a stamp from the price of my past.

I emerged from my room, crossing the hall in two wide strides.

"Sky Child?" I called, tapping my knuckle against the wood of her door.

No one answered.

I frowned. That was odd. I was typically up before she was, and she, being a light sleeper, would usually wake at my call.

I knew she hated it when I used magic to unlock her door, but I had no other choice, and the lock clicked open with a pulse of red. I stepped inside, my eyes widening with shock as I realized she'd woken long ago. The covers on her bed were a twisted mess, the sheets scrunched up in a messy pile. She never did make her bed.

I was bewildered by her disappearance. The night before she'd seemed so happy, so content. She wouldn't up and leave. I had confidence that she wouldn't.

But then... where was she?"

"My Lord..."

I whipped around, startled, as Leal spoke.

"Goddesses above, Leal," I snapped, laying a hand over my quickened heart. "Haven't you a better way of announcing yourself?"

The butler ducked his head. "My apologies, My Lord, but I have news that I thought you may want to hear."

"Is it that Ocean has disappeared again?" I asked dryly. "Because if so, you can save your breath."

Leal winced. "That... And the boy has disappeared as well."

I whipped around. "_What?_"

"The boy you two brought back—Link—is not in his room."

I spat out a string of curses, drawing a hand over my face. "Do you know when they left?"

Leal shook his head. "No, but it appears she left something behind."

I followed his gaze to a hastily folded piece of paper left on her desk. I approached slowly, glaring down the scrap, as if it were responsible for my protectors sudden vanishing act.

Unfolding the paper revealed a note composed of unbelievably messy handwriting and dark smudges from ink against a palm.

_G-_

_First off, Ghir, thanks for unlocking my door with magic and barging into my room, just like I've always told you NOT TO DO. Don't even pretend to deny it. I know I locked my door, so the only reason you'd be reading this is if you did the thing I specifically told you to avoid doing. Oh well._

_So... as you may have noticed, I had to borrow Linky for a lil' bit. Sorry for the inconvenience jajaja._

_Until I return, you can hold onto this: IOU 1 Chosen Hero. Redeemable when product available, supplies may vary..._

_But wait, there's more! I'll throw in the name of the person who holds the secret to where I am. I'll warn you, his name is long, so I may have it a bit mixed up, but it'll still work all the same. Anyway, just talk to Naiditch Scottie Woodhouse Kippie._

_Be back ASAP._

_KTHXBAI :D_

_Love,_

_-M/0 XOXO_

_P.S. Plz don't kill me :/_

_P.P.S. Can you please feed Tiger for me?_

I held the letter for a moment longer, stunned by what I'd just read. Most of the letter was straightforward enough, but code-like letters sprinkled sporadically throughout the letter made it seem as though I was missing something. "Leal?"

"Yes, My Lord?"

I drew a hand across the wrinkles on my forehead, letting out an irritated sigh. I was too exhausted to be as angry as I expected myself to be. "Go find someone who can help us find this... _'Naiditch Scottie Woodhouse Kippie'."_

* * *

**Marissa's POV**

"Gum?"

"What?" Link stopped a few feet from the bird statue to turn around and look

at me.

I offered him a stick of some _Extra _gum. I'd found an old pack of it in my backpack when I packed my supplies back at home.

"What is it?"

I unwrapped the piece and gracefully slid it between my teeth. "It's like food... Except you never swallow it. You just keep chewing it 'till it runs out of flavor. This one is watermelon."

"Oh..." Link lowered his gaze. "I'm fine, thanks."

"Whatever..." I crumpled the wrapper up and shoved it into my pocket. "More for me, I suppose."

Link didn't respond. He seemed uncharacteristically somber. I suppose his stay at the manor hadn't helped his morale as much as I'd hoped. I had planned to visit him more often, but Link had slept most of the time, so I'd elected not to bother him and to continue with a normal day's work in the infirmary, where it seemed like I was going to be spending a lot more time from now on. But I'd thought the rest and the food would help him, as well as the fact that he was relatively safe. But I suppose between Ghirahim's constant aggressive behavior towards him, and the fact that he had a time-sensitive mission looming over him, his stay was probably less than pleasant.

In an attempt to cheer the swordsman up, I blew a large bubble with the gum. Link watched quietly as the bubble grew larger and larger, and eventually burst in my face. He smiled, but it seemed ingenuine and forced, not reaching his eyes.

I frowned as I pulled strands of gum from my upper lip. "What happened to you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh come on," I playfully slugged him on the arm like I always used to. "You don't smile anymore. Back on Skyloft... I mean... Before any of this started, you never talked, but you never really frowned either. You were just quietly content. Now you just seem so... _hollow._"

Link shrugged. "Maybe I am. I guess that's just what happens."

I tilted my head. "What do you mean?"

Link sighed, suddenly looking angry. "I mean, I just thought that after chasing Zelda around the world, maybe I'd at least get to talk to her for a minute. But I guess I don't deserve even that."

As if on an impulse, I wrapped my arms around Link, giving him a delicate hug.

"I'm sorry about Ghirahim," I muttered in his ear. "He just... He's been through a lot, you know? And I guess while I was gone... He kinda lost it, didn't he? I should've been around to keep an eye on him. I didn't think he'd relapse."

Link pulled away, his gaze lowered. "Yeah, well. We've all been through a lot."

"We have," I agreed.

Link was quiet for a moment. I smiled weakly, leaning towards him to straighten his green knight uniform. "We've also all grown a lot," I muttered, half to myself.

Link almost smiled. "Maybe I'm finally taller than you."

I rolled my eyes, drawling, "In your dreams, Master Shortpants."

Link blinked. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You'll understand later. You're going to meet someone who will tends to enjoy insulting you a little too much."

"I actually already know Groose," Link joked.

I laughed softly, glad that he was at least up for a bit of dry humor.

Link suddenly frowned. "Won't Ghirahim be angry about you sneaking me out? And for stealing back all of my stuff?"

"Oh, yeah. He'll be pissed. I'm kind of afraid that he's going to kill me."

"You'd risk that for me?"

I shrugged. "Well, yeah. I mean, it's kind of my fault that he took you as prisoner. Besides, I'll be back before he realizes what I'm doing. I put a code of sorts in the note I left him."

"I'm sure he'll be thrilled when he finds it."

I laughed again. Then, suddenly serious, I cleared my throat. "Look... Link... After you return to Skyloft, can you say 'hi' to Pipit and Karane for me?"

He nodded. "Of course."

With one last look at me, the boy began to reach for the statue.

"Wait!" I grabbed his arm. "I have to warn you about something."

Link furrowed his brow. "Alright, I guess. Go on."

"When you get to the temple and talk to the Old Lady, you're going to run into a problem. The Imprisoned is going to break free."

"_What_?" Link blinked at me shocked. "How...How do you know?"  
I held up a hand. "That's not all. To fight him, you have to attack his toes until you've burst all of them. I know that sounds disgusting, but it works. After you knock him down, attack the seal protruding from his head and hit it until you knock it back into his head. It shouldn't be too hard this time, but be careful, alright?"

"_This time_?" Link yelped.

"Yes. And the special water that you're going to need a bit later is at the end of Skyview Temple, in that spring. It's the waterfall where the fairies gather. And the answer to the code lock you'll find will be on the back of the hands of the stone hands in the temple. And..." I trailed off. "Look... None of this is going to be easy, but I know you can do it. I know that because you're my hero, and you've been my hero for as long as I can remember."

Link stared at me, his face showing his confusion and his eyes betraying his exhaustion. "What are you talking about? How do you know all of this?"

I smiled weakly, adjusting his collar. "You survive, and I'll explain everything to you over a bowl of soup at the Lumpy Pumpkin. Deal?"

Link nodded, and this time he hugged me. "Deal."

He was trembling a little, and I realized how much fear he must have been forcing down. I'd always thought about him as immortal, but as felt his warmth and listened to him breathe, it occurred to me just how mortal he was. As we separated, and as I looked into his dull cerulean eyes, not unlike mine, I felt the smile that I was forcing break. "Just... Come back alive, okay?" As if on an impulse, I kissed his cheek.

Link blushed a little. "I will. We're all going to get through this. And then, after all of this is over, maybe we can have a big celebration—a party—at the academy, and everyone will be there—Karane, Pitpit, Zelda, you, me... Groose, and maybe even _Ghirahim._"

"I'd like that." I breathed.

"Alright." Link backed up. "Guess I'll see you around."

"Guess so." I watched as Link activated the bird statue, and right before that orange beam sent him back to the sky, I called, "Watch out for flying Grooses!"

Link gave no indication that he'd heard me, and I watched him disappear into into the clouds.

* * *

I tried to sneak into my room as soon as I returned to the manor. It may have worked, too. I was quiet, I was stealthy. I thought I was going to make it. That is, until I saw Ghirahim sitting on my bed, his arms folded.

"Hey..." I trailed off. "What's up?"

Ghirahim stood up. "I figured out who '_Naiditch Scottie Woodhouse Kippie' _is. Or rather, _what _it is.

I smiled sheepishly. "You solved the anagram? How?"

Ghirahim shrugged. "It was easy once I figured out that it was a puzzle rather than a name."

"And how'd you manage that?"

"Simple. No one has more than one name."

"Well, actually..."

Ghirahim held up a hand. "Regardless, I did solve it. And it wasn't funny." He held out the slip of paper I'd written my note on. On the back of the paper was the original phrase, and below that was, sure enough, the answer to said puzzle.

Ghirahim put his hands on his hips. "Naiditch Scottie Woodhouse Kippie. Also known as 'This is how to keep an idiot occupied'."

I swallowed nervously. "Well, at least you caught on."

Ghirahim glared at me.

I chuckled nervously. "So...uh... Did you feed Tiger?"

Ghirahim scowled, walking pacing. "How dare you take my prisoner? You had no right!"

"Look, Ghir..." I approached him cautiously. "Keeping him here benefited no one. All it was doing was ensuring that Malice gets a head start in reviving Demise."

"That's not the point," Ghirahim snapped. "I thought you were past sneaking around behind my back. I thought we were a team."

"We are!" I assured him. "I just think that maybe you're taking out your anger at Demise on Link. He really is a sweet boy. He's one of the few genuinely kind people that I know."

"If he's so much better a person than me, then why don't you just go with him?" Ghirahim suggested icily.

"I would," I rested my hand in his shoulder, "but I said I'd come back. Now it can just be you and me. We can do something fun. Let's go sledding! Let's play a game! We should make a secret handshake. No, wait. We should make a special, like knock. You know, a certain code I could use to knock on your door to show you that it's me and not Malice or another assassination. "That'd be fun, right?"

Ghirahim sighed. "Later. I have other matters to attend to."

"Fine," I agreed. "Meet me in Faron Woods in the afternoon."

He narrowed his eyes. "Why?"

I gave him an impish smirk. "I can't tell you, lest I ruin the surprise."

* * *

**I know this chapter was mostly just some sort of fluff or something, but trust me... The plot will pick up again soon. Like, next chapter, if I'm planning this right.**

**Also, anyone fearing a potential love triangle, rest easy. Link and Marissa obviously have a close relationship, but its pure friendship. Link most likely views her as a sister more than anything. And, as she's a LOZ nerd, he's been her hero for years. She may have been slightly infatuated with him at the beginning, but she never realized it. But yeah. Purely platonic.**

**If you can spare a moment, a review would really brighten my day. I mean, that'd be cool. Besides that, favs/follows are always equally appreciated. **

**Keep your friends close. Don't be stupid. Some things you can't change. And that's okay. You can still do one thing-you can accept it.**

**Best wishes to all of you,**

**~Catwhiskers24~**


	67. Chapter 2-5: It's All Fun and Games

**I sincerely apologize for my absence. I feel pretty guilty about that. I just had a lot going on over the past month. I'm mentally and physically exhausted, but I know writing this is helping me. I just hope you can forgive me. **

**Anyway, Catwhiskers24's advice for the month. You know how they always say girls are more dramatic and harder to be friends with than boys? Bullshit. (Pardon my French :p) **

**Well, here you go. I don't have a ton to say today.**

**Oh! I'm involved in a play and I've got a project due soon that's worth like a quarter of my grade. Just a heads up.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own LOZ.**

* * *

**Ghirahim's POV**

"You're late."

I frowned at the Sky Child as I approached. She was standing on top of an old artillery box in the middle of a clearing, her hands folded stiffly behind her back, her lips pulled back in a tight scowl.

"You said the afternoon. Here I am."

"Quiet, private," she barked. "The sun was at it's peak almost ten minutes ago; therefore, you are indeed late. It would do you well to show some respect to your commanding officer."

"You neglected to mention," I muttered, "that we were on such a tight schedule, Little Remlit."

She narrowed her eyes. "Are you making an excuse, soldier?"

"Yes, I am."

"Yes, _ma'am._"

I raised my eyebrows. "If you're finally going to use titles on me, I think I'd much prefer 'sir' to 'ma'am'."

She leaned forward in her best attempt to be menacing. "Keep your sass in check."

I walked over to her makeshift podium, straightening to my full height. Even with her box, I was still an inch or two taller than her.

"Well, _ma'am,_" I answered in a low voice, "I suppose I could if you were to explain to me just what's going on."

"I don't have to concede to your terms, Private," she growled. Then the edge of her rigidly straight mouth twitched. She let out a little laugh. "I'm sorry. I can't do this whole lieutenant thing. Not with you invading my personal space."

"Is that so?" I moved ever closer, smirking at her reddening face.

"Can you... Wait..." Her eyes grew huge. "You _do _have eyebrows!"

"What?"

"I usually can't tell because they're so faint, but with you so close and the sun so bright, I can see tiny, clear little hairs on your brow." She traced a finger above my right eye. "They're like tiny, clear little malnourished caterpillars."

"I can't believe it took you this long to realize that," I taunted, "considering how you seem to have memorized every detail of my face."

"Oh shut up, you oaf!" She laughed, shoving my shoulder. "You're so tall that half the time all I can see are your chin and lips!" As I chuckled, she brought a pale fist to her pink lips and cleared her throat. "I mean, _silence, _soldier."

I straitened, folding my hands behind my back, curious as to how this would turn out if I were to play along. "My apologies, _Lieutenant. _What is my mission?"

"Your mission..." She bit her lip, and then, in a breathy, barely audible voice, muttered, "I didn't think we'd get this far. Then she lifted her chin, and staring directly at me, answered, "I am putting you in charge of an army."

"An _army_?" I purred, intrigued. "What would you have me do?"

"Well, first, you ought to meet your troops." With a sharp whistle, she yelled, "_Come on out, boys!_"

The bushes trembled as a couple dozen bokoblins emerged from the shadowed treeline. Among them were a few of the demons from the manor, like Platnox. I also seemed to recognize a young boy, though I had no clue as to where I'd seen him.

"You call this an army?" I taunted, raising one of my newly discovered eyebrows at her.

"No..." She spread out her arms as the newcomers split into two groups. "I call this _two _armies!"

"You can't be serious."

"On behalf of your army," Platnox grumbled, "_Ouch_."

I scowled, turning my gaze back to the girl. "Would you mind telling me what exactly my... _'army' _is supposed to be doing?"

She nodded compliantly. "Your task is simple," she began. "Coal! Bring them out!"

The young boy stepped forward, picking up two long poles that had been hidden in the grass. He placed the objects in her hands, and she stepped forward, handing me one of them. As I held it away from my body, a red square of fabric unraveled itself from the top third of the staff, blowing apathetically in the breeze.

"What is this supposed to be?"

She held out her own pole, from which hung an identical square of blue. "It's a flag. _Your_ flag."

"My flag?"

"Sure." She raised her eyebrows. "Haven't you ever played capture the flag?"

* * *

**Marissa's POV**

"We're going to split the army into two groups. I was just going to have them divide amongst themselves, but seeing as how you seem to a bit less than satisfied with your team, we're going to have to do a little draft, alright?"

Ghirahim frowned. "What do you mean by that?"

"You pick someone for your team, and then I pick someone. We go back and fourth 'till everyone is gone. Got it?"

Ghirahim took a deep breath. "Fine. Let's just get this over with."

"That's the spirit! You go first."

Ghirahim let out an exaggerated sigh. "Alright, fine. Platnox, get over here."

Platnox beamed, and he flaunted to his adoptive brother's side, beaming. He put a hand over his heart. "It makes me so _honored _that you picked me. I promise, I will not let you down!"

Ghirahim rolled his eyes, and he took a swing at Platnox's head, who laughed, ducking out of the way.

"Careful," he warned with a grin, "or I might decide to join her side instead."

"You can't do that."

As the two bickered, I scanned the crowd of gathered troops. "I pick... Hmm..." My eyes fell upon a hopeful face. "I'm gonna go with Coal."

The young boy's eyes lit up, and he scampered to my side.

"_Him?_" Ghirahim scoffed. "You can't be serious."

"That's it. I'm with her now," Platnox decided, standing on my other side.

Ghirahim gave me a look of disbelief, but I simply shrugged, folding my arms.

This proceeded throughout a few rounds of drafting. It was pretty uneventful after that first round, as neither of us had particularly strong preferences regarding who got which bokoblin. However, Ghirahim did tend to pick the larger, stronger ones first, while I went for a few that I'd met in the barracks.

"Alright," I spoke up, turning to face the two teams. "Your mission: capture the other team's flag before they find yours. Strategy is up to your team leader."

Platnox chuckled. "Their strategy's up to Debbie? Looks like we've already won."

A reddish hue rose to Ghirahim's cheeks as he glared at Platnox. "I thought I told you to—"

"Girls, girls, you can criticize each others makeup later," I broke in. "Right now though, your teammates are trying to listen to my explanation. Now if you could politely _cierran sus bocas, por favor_."

While not understanding my sudden Spanish, they seemed to get the picture, and they quieted, though they still gave one another simmering looks.

"Now, as I was saying, strategy is up to your team leader for the most part, but you still have a say in what we do. The rules are simple—try to avoid killing or maiming, if you can. Other than that though, if someone lands a blow on you, then technically you're out. In our case, though, I say you should get three lives. Or, I guess, you could just play until you've had enough, or until one of us wins. I don't particularly care. That's about all I've got."

"Where exactly are we supposed to put our flags?" Ghirahim asked.

I raised my eyebrows. "If I told you where to hide it, then what's the point of finding it?"

Ghirahim nodded, taking a step back.

"So..." I scanned the crowd one last time. "Shall we head out?"

* * *

"Well..?" Platnox fell into step with me. "Where are we going to hide our flag?"

"You'll see," I responded, "when we get there."

"Then you do have a spot picked out?"

"I do."

Platnox grinned. "And I'm guessing it's a good one?"

I grinned back. "Of course."

"So how much longer will it take to get to where we're going?"

"Not long at all," I answered. "We're here."

Platnox followed my gaze up to our destination, and his smile melted.

"You're bad."

I smirked. "I know."

Platnox soon had a smirk of his own. "You're evil. But it's perfect."

"I know."

* * *

**Ghirahim's POV**

"Master, flag...in...place," a bokoblin reported as he approached me, winded.

"Perfect. Any sign of the blue flag?"

"No...sir..."

I sighed. I had been walking through Faron Woods with my team of bokoblins for a long while, but I still hadn't seen any sign of the other team or their flag.

Typically, I would not have so heartily gone along with such a foolish waste of time—especially after the girl had just released the prisoner I hated so deeply. But today was different. I found myself growing sick and tired of the mundane, insignificant matters my subjects brought to my court. I knew fresh air would do me good, so there I was, wandering aimlessly about the woods.

It seemed as though I would never find the flag. Then, just as I thought this, one of the bokoblins let out a noise of shock.

I whipped around. The bokoblin's eyes were wide as he pointed to something in the distance.

"Master! Flag! Top of tree!"

I looked to what the bokoblin was pointing at, and my heart sank. I felt myself shiver. Of course she would pick to hide her flag up there. _Of_ _course_ she would pick the one place I wouldn't go.

I turned to a cluster of bokoblins, letting out a sigh. "You five... You are going to retrieve the flag."

Their eyes widened, but they nodded earnestly.

"So long as..." I bit my lip. "Can you swim?"

Yes, of all places, she'd had to hide her flag at the top of the Great Tree.

* * *

**Marissa's POV**

"Whoa! Look over there!"

My head snapped towards where Platnox was looking.

"No way," I laughed. "It can't be that easy."

We both stared down at the white structure marking the entrance to the Deep Woods. On top of it, just barely discernible from where we stood, stood two little bokoblins, standing in stiff guard of the red flag.

"It's gotta be a trap," Coal spoke up, standing next to us.

I nodded in agreement. "He's right. Ghirahim would never let his guard down like that. And..." I looked at Platnox. "Something tells me he's probably super competitive.

"You have no idea," Platnox confirmed. "Forever ago, back when we were kids, Ghiri would always _have _to win everything. There's no way he's going down without a fight."

"Thought so," I said, nodding. "So it must be a trap, then?"

"It definitely is."

"And..." I grinned at each of them in turn, glancing at the half-dozen bokoblins who were staying back to guard our flag, which was hidden in a tight alcove in the trunk of the tree. "We're going anyway?"

"We definitely are."

As we approached the white temple, I became increasingly sure that we were walking into a trap. I couldn't help feeling a tremor of fear as we moved ever closer. I'd almost rather have a few bokoblins confront us on the way there. The way it was so easy to approach the flag was terrifying.

"Alright..." I turned to face Platnox, Coal, and the half-dozen bokoblins we brought along. Here's the plan—Platnox," I turned to face him, "you and the bokoblins are going to go first. Distract the bokoblins that we know for sure are here. And if it's a trap, and a bunch more enemies attack you, then give us a signal."

"Signal?"

"Yeah, like _'caw-caw' _or something."

"How about _'holy shi'— _"

"That works too."

So Platnox and the bokoblins proceeded with the plan, heading up the steps quietly as Coal and I waited below.

I listened for some sort of a commotion, or for Platnox's signal, but neither came. In a matter of seconds, Platnox called down to us, saying it was clear.

Confused, I joined him atop the white structure. Platnox and the bokoblins had wrestled the members of the other team to the ground, and our bokoblins were pinning them down.

It was surprising, but it was a pleasant surprise nonetheless.

Everyone seemed to hold their breath as I stepped forward to take the flag, but just as I was almost within reaching distance of it, the hilt of a sword knocked me to the ground.

"You didn't honestly think it would be _that _easy did you?" Ghirahim jeered, pointing the gleaming tip of his blade at my throat.

A wry smile pulled at my lips, my momentary shock forgotten. "Honestly, I really didn't."

He smirked back. "Is that so? Then how come you are the one on the ground, and I am the one with the upper-hand and the excess troops at my side?"

"Touché." I looked past him to the group of bokoblins clustered behind him. _There_ were those reinforcements we had been waiting for!

I slowly got to my feet and crossed his sword with my own.

"So here we are in Faron Woods again, sword-to-sword," I observed.

Ghirahim nodded. "Shall we begin?" He swung his sword at me before I could answer, but I saw it coming, and I blocked it with ease.

"Now Ghirahim," I scolded him as we circled one another, "if you keep telegraphing your attacks like the novice you are, this battle will yield the same result as the last one!"

Even though he was lost in the throng of now dueling bokoblins, I could hear Platnox let out a chuckle.

I swung my sword, blatantly telegraphing with exaggerated movements that I was going for his right side, and then I quickly darted towards his left, catching him in the shoulder. I was careful not to hit too hard, and all that was left on his skin was a small cut that barely drew blood, but he winced nonetheless.

"Ouch. I can't believe I fell for that one again," Ghirahim remarked. But the taste of my victory was short-lived, for Ghirahim soon took out my leg with a well aimed kick to the knee. I cringed, falling to the ground and rolling to the side as he swung his blade at me.

The bokoblins had stopped fighting, and they watched wide-eyed with Platnox and Coal as Ghirahim and I sparred.

I got to my feet, and we continued to hit our swords together, the harsh sound of metal-hitting-metal filling the forest.

"Go Ocean!" Platnox cheered, watching us in amusement.

I made the mistake of glancing at him, and Ghirahim took the opportunity to catch the edge of my leg with a gentle swing. Even though he wasn't trying to hurt me, the cut still stung like a mothertrucker.

"Alright," I said, taking a deep breath. "I guess its 1-1."

Quick as a flash, I darted out my blade, landing a harmless blow on his arm. (After all, it wasn't like I wanted to hurt him, considering _I'd_ be the one who would have to heal his wounds.)

"2-1," I corrected myself.

But before the words left my lips, Ghirahim had hit my arm in turn.

"Make that 2-2," he stated with a smirk.

"Fine. 2-2." I nodded to Coal, flicking my gaze towards the flag. The boy's eyes grew huge, and he nodded, going unnoticed by the others as their stares were locked on the battle. Ghirahim took this opportunity to knock me over with a cut to the ankle and a kick to the shin, which made me stumble over and fall.

"Ow..." I whined.

Ghirahim pointed the tip of his blade at my throat, an adrenaline-fueled fire in his eyes, one that was reflected in the eyes of every competitive player of any team I'd ever been on or against.

"3-2... I do believe I have won this little battle," he declared smugly.

"Perhaps..." I glanced at the the young demon, and I found myself grinning. "But we've just won the war."

"_What?!_" Ghirahim whipped around, staring in disbelief at Coal as he struggled to lift the other team's red flag. "That's impossible!"

I shrugged, walking past him to where Coal stood. I gave him a high-five, and then, lifting him onto my back, I gave him a piggy-back ride off of the structure, leading my team as it cheered. Hoots and hollers could be heard from miles away as our procession crashed through the forest. I lead a chant of "MVP!", and the other Bokoblins chanted as well, smiles all around. Platnox smiled sweetly at a stunned Ghirahim.

When we reached the Great Tree, Platnox warped to the top, where the other bokoblins were still defending our flag from a few bokoblins on Ghirahim's team.

When Platnox returned with the bokoblins, I felt myself frowning. "Where's our flag?" I asked him.

"I didn't bring it down..." he answered, looking confused. "Was I supposed to?"

I shrugged. "It's fine. We've got it. You can take Coal and everyone back."

He nodded. "Alright. See you around, Ocean." He turned to Ghirahim. "Oh, and nice game, Debs."

Ghirahim continued to glare at him as he walked away.

"Debbie?" I laughed.

"If you ever call me that..." Ghirahim growled.

I laughed. "Don't worry—I probably won't."

"You better not."

"Now..." I started towards the Great Tree once again.

"What are you doing?"

I frowned. "Didn't you hear? We're going to go get that flag."

Ghirahim's face grew pale.

"What?" I nudged him. "Come on; you'll be fine!"

"It's nothing," Ghirahim insisted. "It's just... I'm going to die."

* * *

**Plot shall commence next chapter. Interesting fact-this is another one of the first chapter I wrote for the original draft. Modified a bit, of course.**

**I've always wanted to write a capture the flag scene, and this chapter includes not a direct quote exactly, but a reference to the book that inspired me to do so, once upon a time. If you can find/recognize this quote, then you are basically the greatest person ever.**

**Well, until next we meet. With any luck it'll be next weekend, and hopefully that luck will be with us since it's the day after St. Patrick's ****Day.**

**Bye y'all!**

**~Catwhiskers24~**


	68. Chapter 2-5:Until a Pompadour is hurt

**Hello. How's life treating you? I realize I've been quite inconsistent lately... Sorry 'bout that. I would have loved to update on Friday with another April Fools joke... But I was busy that day. Sadness.**

**Anyway... Here's the latest chapter. I actually don't have a ton to say. So...**

**Disclaimer: I do not own LOZ.**

* * *

**Marissa's POV**

"I've changed my mind—I'm not doing this."

I rolled my eyes at Ghirahim, treading water in my best attempt to be patient as I waited for him to join me.

"Come on, Ghir. All we have to do is make it through this tunnel, and then we just have to climb a little ways. It won't be that bad."

"Have you done this before?"

I bit my lip. "Well, no. Plat and I warped to the top. But you and me are going to do it the real way."

"I don't see the point of this," Ghirahim muttered, staring in disgust at the water's surface. "I can warp us to the top as well. Why don't we do it the easy way?"

"Because you need to practice swimming," I answered, "and you lost."

"I fail to understand how my unsuccessful endeavor to win your game deems it necessary for me to risk my life."

"It doesn't." I thought for a moment. "You don't have to do this. I won't force you this time. But just so you know... Link's done it a dozen times."

Ghirahim folded his arms skeptically. "And what does that have to do with anything?"

"Nothing..." I smiled at him angelically. "Except if you are too scared to do this, then that means Link is braver than you are. But that doesn't matter, right?

"Clever girl." Ghirahim was in the water with a splash.

I smirked. "Knew that one would get you in."

The demon gave me an irritated look. "Don't pat yourself on the back just yet. I never agreed to go down there with you."

"Yeah... But you're going."

"I will not."

His actions told me otherwise as I took his arm and dove down, swimming through the gaping entrance to the inside of the tree. We came to a long, cramped tunnel filled with the clear water. It was barely wide enough for the both of us to swim side by side without hitting each other once in a while. I caught Ghirahim in the lip with my hand once, and he kicked my leg a few times (though I don't know for sure whether or not that was an accident.)

After we'd made it a fraction of the way down the tunnel, Ghirahim began to slow down. His movements became more restricted, and panic flashed across his face. He'd run out of air. I needed a breath of O2 as well, so I scanned the cave walls for what kept Link going in the game. And then, sure enough, I saw it—a large, round bubble about the size of a small watermelon rising from the cave floor. I put my hands on either side of my companion's torso and steered him towards it. Understanding what I was trying to do, he managed to take a breath from the bubble. To my relief, there was another one a few feet down that I took for myself, and then we continued onward.

We used this same method of taking turns per bubble until we reached the end of the tunnel, and the bubbles stopped. Looking upward, I realized we'd reached the cavern, so I grabbed Ghirahim's hand, pulled him up with me, and together we reached the surface. By the time my head broke the surface I thought my lungs would burst, and I found myself taking long, greedy breaths of the humid air. To my relief, Ghirahim surfaced next to me, and I helped him stay afloat as he gasped as well. He looked as though he was about to pass out, and by the time we reached the side of the pool, I practically had to pull him onto mossy wood platform that stuck into the water. He lay on his side, gasping. Exhausted as well, I knelt down beside him and patted his shoulder.

"There," I panted. "That wasn't so bad."

"I..." he coughed, "...hate...you."

I made a pouty face at him, but I continued to sit there with him until he recovered.

"You alright?" I asked.

"I almost drowned."

"'_Almost' _being the key word there."

The demon continued to glare at me, but he shakily got to his feet, exhausted enough to sink to the level of leaning on me.

"Ready to go on?"

"What?"

"Ghir, we're still at the base of the tree. We've gotta climb up. The flag's at the top of the tree."

Ghirahim let out a string of curses.

"Why did I let you trick me into this?"

I grinned. "Because you were too proud to back out of something Link has done."

He didn't respond, so I led the way up the vines leading to the next of the tree's internal outcrops.

When we reached the highest ledge, we came to a series of wooden platforms.

"Tell me we don't have to cross those."

"I'm not sure how to respond."

Ghirahim continued to curse, and I think I heard him swear more that day than I had ever before.

"Come on, Ghir. This'll help you face your fear of heights."

He whipped around to glare at me. "This is what you were planning from the start, isn't it? You wanted us to climb the tree because you thought it would somehow cure my phobia. But it _won't._ Believe me—I've tried."

I put a hand on his shoulder. "I'm not trying to cure your phobia. But I think it would be a good idea for you to get a handle on your fear. If you're confronted with heights, rather than freezing with panic, maybe I can help you find a way to control yourself so you can stay calm on the outside, but, you know, scream on the inside."

"It's not going to work," he grumbled.

"I know," I sighed. "But it's worth a try anyhow. So... Is there any way you can move the platforms with magic?"

"Do I _really_ look like I'm in any state to do that?" he snapped.

I looked from his trembling fingers to his sopping hair.

"Well... Maybe not. Let me try."

I led him onto the first platform. As we both moved on top of it, the platform shifted slightly. Ghirahim flinched, and to my great surprise, he grabbed my hand. I felt my face burn.

"Hey Ghir?"

"...Yes?"

I gave his hand a hesitant squeeze. "Just... Don't look down."

After a bit of experimentation, I discovered that one could control various elements in a similar way that I could heal. All you had to do was imagine exactly what you wanted to do, concentrate really hard, and then you could do whatever you wanted—within reason, of course.

So, in this particular circumstance, I imagined a gust of wind shooting from my fingertips. So I tried.

It worked! It took a few attempts, and the powerful gale I had imagined came out as more of a gentle breeze, but it was enough to swing the platform a few inches. I made sure I was facing away from the other platform and then I prepared myself for a stronger wind.

"Alright..." I bit my lip. "I'm going to swing us forward with some wind. We'll jump on three. Got it?"

The only confirmation I received was a tight nod.

"Good. One..."

I raised my right arm as he held on to my left.

"Two..." His grip tightened as I sent out a gust of wind, rocking the platform towards the next. We turned around, watching as we drew closer and closer and...

"THREE!"

* * *

**Ghirahim's POV**

I felt my heart crawl into my throat as we jumped, but it seemed that I had no reason to worry. We landed together on the next platform. I began to lose my balance, but she steadied me.

"Careful," she warned me softly.

We continued on to the next platform, and then the next thing I knew we were on the other side.

"Ghirahim?"

"Yes?" It was a strange sensation to speak with such a constricted throat.

"Are you alright?"

I nodded.

"Excellent! Could you loosen your death-grip on my wrist a little, then?" she asked with a wry grin.

"My apologies," I muttered sheepishly, releasing her arm.

We crossed through a narrow passage that led to the outside. Then, climbing some vines to reach another door, we had to pass over a thick internal branch to reach the outside again. After climbing up a ramp, we finally reached the blue flag of her team. The girl picked up her flag. Then, with a large smile, she gave it to me.

"You earned it."

I grimaced slightly in return.

"But we still won," she added, laughing.

I shook my head at her, but I was relieved that we had finally finished our torturous endeavor.

"C'mon," she called, leading me to a wooden platform jutting outwards. I felt a wave of nausea fill my throat as I looked down. We were up higher than I'd been in years. The ground looked miles away. Below us was the pool that led inside the tree.

"Alright, time to jump," she said in my ear.

"_What?_"

"We'll be fine. I mean, we're high, but we're not high enough that landing in the water would be like hitting cement. Probably."

"I'm _not _doing this," I told her firmly, backing up.

"Sure you are. How else are we gonna get down?" she asked innocently, tilting her head.

"Oh, I don't know... Maybe climb down the way we came? Or we could teleport. Yes, we could teleport!"

"Heh. You're funny," she chuckled, pushing me forward.

"You're insane!" I cried, trying to back up. But my tired, trembling legs were no match for her firm arms shoving me forward.

"No... I'm just... Selectively sane."

"You're not seriously going to tell me to jump," I spluttered in disbelief.

"No, of course not. I'm gonna push you!"

"No, no, no, please!" I begged.

She let go of me, laughing. "I'm only messing with you."

I gave her a simmering glare. My heart was hammering in my chest.

She shrugged apologetically. "Sorry—I couldn't help it. But I guess that was kind of mean. We can warp if you want to."

I let out a breath of immense relief. But as I did so, my legs continued to shake, and my foot slipped. I tumbled backwards over the edge.

I hadn't even the time to cry for help as I found myself falling. The pool came rushing to meet me, and I hit my back to the surface of the water. The impact knocked the breath out of me. I sunk to the bottom. My thoughts were fuzzy, and I couldn't tell which way was up. My vision darkened, and I felt myself inhale water.

I barely registered the arms that slipped beneath mine and pulling me up, the feeling of warm air surrounding me, the touch of grass against my skin, the comfort of solid ground.

Then I was lying on the bank, coughing, with the girl helping me to sit up while rubbing my back as I tried to rid the water from my lungs. It all seemed so familiar, but I couldn't remember why. The world returned in a bright, blinding blur as I opened my eyes. Then I met her bright blue eyes, filled with concern, and it all came rushing back.

I remembered the incident with the lake so long ago. I remembered threatening to kill her, that I was furious with her because she'd just stopped me from defeating the boy. I remember considering killing her, how I was close, how I was so angry. And then I remembered her running away, her trying to swim away on that log. I don't know what possessed me to follow her. After all, if I hadn't known from the beginning that she wouldn't help me with my mission, I had learned for certain that day.

I probably should have let her escape. My life would have been so much simpler. I probably would have captured the Spirit Maiden at the next temple. But I followed her. I followed her, and then I found myself drowning. I could still clearly recall how helpless I'd felt, sinking to the bottom of the lake and then being caught by that infernal weed that wrapped around my thrashing foot. Goddesses, that water was cold. I remembered a moment, one moment, when I'd realized that it would be my last day alive. I was going to drown in that lake and everything I'd worked for would go to waste.

I didn't want to live. At the time of this incident, I had been losing more and more of the desire to survive. There had been so many times when I thought that death would be so much simpler than continuing to struggle, but in that moment, as I realized it was my last day alive, I also didn't want to die. But I'd had to accept it as I realized that no one would help me. I couldn't escape the water on my own, and the only person anywhere near me was the one I had just nearly killed. The last thing on my mind was that she would come back to help me. But she did.

I still remember the disbelief of seeing her. I could still picture her determination as she swam towards me, her panic as she realized that I was caught and that we were both running out of air. Then she had swum away. As I watched her swim back to the surface, I remembered feeling stupidity for the brief flash of hope I'd felt. Surely she must have been making sure that I was really caught, so that she knew she could get away. Or perhaps she had considered helping me, but upon realizing it would be no easy task, she had decided against it. Either way, she had left and she would not be coming back.

But then, the lips that had sealed against mine and the air that filled my chest told me otherwise. My heart had stirred back from its lazy slump, now stronger than before, having found a new reason to beat. I'd coughed, and then one of the weeds she'd severed found its way down my throat. I lost consciousness soon after.

All I could remember after that was waking up on the ground beside the lake. I remembered being numb and confused. At the time I had forgotten what had happened, or maybe I pushed it out of my mind, but either way, I never thought much about that incident until today. And just like that day, here I was, coughing senselessly moments after a near drowning from which she had spared me. Once again she comforted me with her voice and the way she rubbed my back, and, unbeknownst to her, the way she looked at me with those wide, concerned cerulean eyes. Time and time again she would save my life. How many times was it now? And how many times had Demise saved me? Probably less than half.

I realized with a jolt that she was trying to ask me something.

"What?" My hearing returned as she spoke.

"Are you alright?"

I didn't have the breath to answer.

She continued to rub my back, her hands shaking. "Gosh Ghir... I'm so _sorry_. This is all my fault. I was so stupid for making you do that. I can't believe I put your life in jeopardy like that. I'm such a terrible person. I—" I put a finger to her lips.

"Do you remember?"

"What?"

"The last time this happened. Do you remember saving me?"

Her eyes softened. "Yes—Yes, of course I remember. I'll never forget."

"Why?"

She lowered her gaze. "Because I almost let you die."

"But you didn't."

"I considered it. I was so scared. I didn't want to save you, but I thought I'd have too much of a guilty conscience if I did."

"But you didn't."

She thought about this. "You didn't kill me either."

I was quiet for a moment. "Perhaps fate is stronger than I thought."

She took out her sailcloth and wrapped it around my shoulders. Then she pulled me into an embrace. "I'll never let you drown. We're in this together now. Back there...I thought I was going to lose you and I... I was terrified."

I turned to face her. Then I startled her by doing something I hadn't done in years:

I kissed her.

It was on the cheek, of course. But it seemed to surprised us both.

"You won't lose me." I promised, my voice low. "You've been more loyal than Demise ever was to me. You and I... we have a bond I never expected to have with anyone."

Her eyes were huge, and she seemed to be lost for words.

We were silent for a long time. Then something came to my mind, and I broke the silence.

"I'm getting married."

* * *

**Marissa's POV**

"_What?_"

I was shocked. In fact, everything that had happened the past few minutes had shocked me. I had expected Ghirahim would be furious with me for almost getting him killed. But then... Then he'd turned towards me, his dark eyes glazed, and he'd reminded me about that day. Of course I remembered saving him. I thought about it almost every day. Sometimes I wondered if it was my biggest mistake, and then other times I thought it was the most genuinely good deed I'd ever done.

There was something in Ghirahim's face and eyes that I hadn't seen before. Everything he'd done in the past twenty four hours was so out of character that it almost concerned me. He was never this kind to me. And whenever he was, something was usually going on, like he was losing his mind from lack of sleep or something. I was almost concerned that because things had been going so right, something would have to go wrong. And I was right. Spoiler alert—this would be our last good day for a while. He'd have his days, and I'd have mine. But never together.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

Ghirahim met my gaze evenly, but there was something strange about the way he answered me. "I didn't know how to tell you. I didn't particularly want to. But maybe I have to, seeing how it appears I'm closer to you than anyone."

I continued to stare at him in confusion as he tried to dodge the question. But then, with a second glance at me, he seemed to realize that I wouldn't let him go without an explanation.

"Now that Demise and I are no longer allies, it seems that I will be in power much longer than any of my people originally thought. They won't take this well. No, not at all. I fear that many might not be too keen to turn their back on Demise. So if I'm to have any support at all, they need to know that they have a confident leadership in store. I can't be... King... without their support."

"And how does marriage help get them support?"

He scratched the back of his neck. "According to Leal... my people may take to me easier if they have something else to think and gossip about other than my leadership. He says that I need something to distract them with. Like... for instance... their new king getting married. And they will be less concerned for their future if I have an... an heir."

I stared at the ground. "But... But you're just going to decide to get married. Right now? To who? Where? When? What's your plan?"

"I don't know!" He snapped. Then he lowered his voice. "Leal is inviting some of the Lords of the realm to send their daughters to my manor. He also says that whoever I choose will help me gain the support of her father's estate."

An odd sensation bubbled in my chest, and it wouldn't fade. Not for a while.

"So you're just going to choose some random girl? Don't you want someone who actually cares about you? Do you really want some snobby girl whose daddy just wants more money?"

"I won't choose some random girl. I will choose someone who I truly care for. Haven't you ever thought about marriage?"

I blinked, taken aback. "Well, no more than any other girl my age. After all, it wouldn't be for a while, would it? I'm not even sixteen yet! Most girls back home don't get married 'till their twenties. How old are you, anyway?"

"Well, I was born during the war with Hylia, and that was about—"

"I mean... like... how old were you when Demise froze your age?"

He thought for a moment. "Demons don't age at exactly the same rate as your kind, but I was about the age when most demons are fully grown. So that would be about what by your standards? 17 years old? 18? perhaps 19?"

I could believe it. I know he doesn't look like that to most people who play the game, but in person he looked much younger. So I guess it was believable. But getting married at that age wasn't.

"That seems a little young, doesn't it? I guess it's alright since you've been alive for much longer than that, but even still..."

"I have no choice."

"But how are you even going to choose who you're going to... you know... get with? After all, I've heard that they've tried this before, but that you never find anyone suitable."

"That's because they're all the same!" Ghirahim exclaimed. "Every one of them! They are all frail and beautiful and pointless. They are all as stupid as posts and weak as mice."

"Then what are you going to do?" I asked.

"I..." he avoided my gaze. "I'll figure something out. And maybe... just maybe... I'll find someone."

I nodded, having nothing else to say. I got to my feet, but when Ghirahim attempted to do the same, he nearly fell back down.

He eased his way to his side, and I adjusted the sailcloth so that it covered him better.

"You should rest, Ghir." I told him.

He tried to protest, but he hadn't the strength, so he tried to relax, resting his head on the grass. Soon, his breathing evened out, and I knew he had dozed off. I knelt beside him, pushing away the storm that had gathered in my mind during our conversation long enough to heal the shallow wounds I'd given him in our mock swordfight.

Then I stood up and turned away. I thought a walk ought to help with the frustration building up in my mind.

_He's getting married?_ I thought to myself, still in disbelief. How could he? Ghirahim didn't seem like the marrying type. In fact, there was a time when I would have agreed with my mother in thinking that he preferred men to women. But then, such misunderstandings are the penalty of judging, I suppose.

I didn't understand why this news bothered me so much. I probably should have expected that he would find a girl eventually, but I guess I hadn't wanted to think about it. Back in my world, I didn't particularly see the point of dating as a fifteen year old, as the relationships seldom ever lasted, but some of my peers felt differently. And whenever one of my guy friends got himself a girlfriend, I would, of course, be ecstatic for them, but then that feeling would fade. No matter if I liked the girlfriend or not, things would change. And perhaps that's the thing I hate more than anything—change.

My thoughts were interrupted by a set of voices up ahead.

"Calm down—"

"What is this place? What's with the tiny birds? _ WHERE AM I, LINK?_"

I took in the scene, looking between Link and Groose, who'd noticed me midway through shaking Link's shoulders.

Before I could think twice about it, I was running past a shocked Groose to throw my arms around a stunned Link.

* * *

**So yeah... I realize It's been a while since we've seen vicious cannon Ghirahim... but he'll come back. In the meantime though, remember he's basically having a midlife crisis... so cut him a little slack for being wimpy.**

**Well... that's all, I guess. I'm gonna head out on a vacation starting tomorrow, so I'll have a pretty busy week, I guess. But you know what would be cool? If you sent me off with a nice review so that I know people are still interested in this story *hint hint, nudge nudge***

**Yeah, so if you could leave a review/fav/follow, that would be much appreciated. **

**Hope you have a wonderful week!**

**Ciao**

**~Catwhiskers24~**


	69. Chapter 2-7: The First Doomsday

**I'm back!**

**Sorry about the little break there. My life has been extremely busy lately. I haven't had a ton of free time until now. I've had too many commitments. I've pulled few too many all-nighters this week, but I finally scraped together time to work on this over the past few days.**

** I feel like there's a few reviews that have asked questions... Maybe, maybe not. I'm honestly exhausted, so I'll get you next time. Sorry...**

**I should mention, though, that our very own Sketchachu has done an excellent job drawing our main character on her IG with the same name. It's really fantastic! I feel so honored! Anyway, besides that little shoutout, I should say that if for some inexplicable reason my work has somehow bizzarely inspired you to draw it, go right ahead! Also, let me know! I'd love to see it! **

**That's about all.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own LOZ**

* * *

**Marissa's POV**

As Link and I separated, the swordsman was giving me an accusing look.

"You knew about this too, didn't you?"

I shrugged innocently, earning a halfhearted glare from him.

"_You!" _

I whipped around at Groose's disgusted tone. As I turned to face him, his eyes were blazing.

"Yes?"

"You...I thought..." he fumbled to find words to express his surprise.

"Careful there, Groose," I laughed. "You wouldn't want to rack that little brain of yours too hard. You might hurt yourself."

"_Marissa_," Link said sharply, shocked. "That was kind of mean..."

My cheeks burned red. I wasn't sure whether Link was trying to defend the already traumatized Groose, or if he was simply surprised to hear me say something so out of character, but his tone made me instantly regret my smart remark.

"Sorry," I mumbled. I cleared my throat. "Yeah, I'm alive. Surprise, surprise..."

"But how?" Groose still seemed to be having trouble believing that I was truly standing in front of him. "You've been gone for weeks! How...

"It's a long story," I said at the same time that Link said,

"It's complicated."

A new voice spoke from behind us. "So this is where you've been hiding him."

I whipped around. "G-Ghirahim! I t-thought you were asleep..."

"Me? Sleeping in the middle of _Faron_ _Woods? _Ha."

One distant memory of a night at a campfire begged to differ, but I forced myself to remain silent.

The ruffled Ghirahim approached us, the hair on the back of his head sticking up at a strange angle. I'm sure I looked no better. We were both still fairly soaked from our swim.

"Your hair..." I laughed.

The demon's eyes stretched wide open."What? What about it?"

"Nothing. Here—I've got you." I stood on my tip-toes and patted down the rebellious tufts.

"What the heck is going on?" Groose exclaimed, still staring at me. "How are you here?"

"I would like to know what is going on as well," Ghirahim agreed.

Groose blinked in surprise, as if he'd somehow just noticed the new arrival.

"And who's _that_? He looks like a _weirdy!_"

Ghirahim's eyes narrowed. "I could say the same about you. The mere sight of your appalling hair makes my gorge rise."

Groose glared right back at him, self-consciously reaching a hand up to fix his ruffled pompadour.

"Look who's talking—"

"Ladies, ladies, you're both pretty," I interrupted them. "Please... _shut up. _Your egos are going to be the death of me."

I looked between the agitated boys. Then I looked to Ghirahim. "Ghir, this is Groose." Then, returning my gaze to Groose I added, "Groose, this is Ghirahim. Are we all acquainted now? Good."

Ghirahim, not easing his stare of death at Groose, directed a new question towards me. "How did you might this... _thing_?"

"I'll _tell _you how we know each other!" Groose answered him, stepping towards me. "She barged onto my island one day, and we were stuck with her for a _year_. She's _threatened me_!"

Ghirahim, his anger suddenly forgotten, gave me a pleasantly bewildered look. "You threatened this boy?"

I laughed. "Yeah, I did. With that magical reading device I showed you."

Ghirahim snorted in amusement. I thought I saw something like pride flicker in his gaze. I wasn't sure how to feel about that.

Groose rolled his eyes. "Why are you guys down here, anyway?" He nodded to Link. "I get that Shrimpy over here is trying to be the hero and save my girlfriend, but why are you here?"

I glanced up at Ghirahim. "Well... first... I feel the need to say that Zelda is _not _your girlfriend."

"That's besides the point," Groose scoffed.

"Anyway..."You can thank Ghirahim here for my disappearance." I patted said demon's shoulder. "My story is pretty simple, actually. Ghirahim knocked me out of the sky because he somehow mistook me for Zelda, who he needed to use to resurrect his master. But he got stuck with me instead. One thing led to another, and now Ghirahim's good and he's going to help us fight Demise. Isn't that right, Ghir?"

Ghirahim gave a curt nod of affirmation.

Groose seemed to have stopped listening as soon as I mentioned the part about Ghirahim trying to capture Zelda, because he stepped towards Ghirahim in his best attempt to be menacing. He pointed a shaking finger in the demon's face.

"How _dare _you try to capture my beautiful Zelda?" Groose demanded.

Ghirahim shrugged. "I didn't exactly feel the need to consult an insignificant Skyloftian like you."

"Why _you_..." Groose lost his temper, drew back his fist, and punched Ghirahim in the shoulder as hard as he possibly could. I heard a sick crunch.

The noble didn't flinch. Instead, he blinked serenely as Groose cursed, clutching his hand.

"The only thing that could possibly be more stunning than your idiotic audacity is the sheer feebleness of that pathetic blow."

I tried—and failed—to fight back a laugh. Link's head swiveled over to look at me.

"You _did _know about this somehow! Why didn't you warn me?"

I gasped in mock offense. "Hey, if I did have this power of foresight that you're insinuating I have, I wouldn't _dare _change anyone's fate."

Ghirahim snorted, and I elbowed him in the ribs.

Link simply shook his head.

Groose groaned loudly. "You broke my hand!"

"I highly doubt its broken..." I mumbled.

"Well it still hurts!"

Link cleared his throat. "I don't know about you guys, but I need to start heading towards the temple." He glanced at me. "If what you said is true, then we need to be prepared for anything."

"Right," I nodded. "We're right behind you, Link."

With a nod back at me, the boy started in the direction of the sealed grounds. I followed him, and Ghirahim reluctantly kept pace with me.

"Wait..." Groose was standing in the middle of the clearing, his hands on his hips.

"What now, boy?" Ghirahim growled.

"This place needs a name..." Groose muttered. "I think I'll call it... GROOSELAND!"

"Don't be any more foolish than you can help," Ghirahim snapped. "If you are daft enough to not know, the land beneath your precious clouds is referred to by every intelligent being as the Surface." He smirked suddenly. "That said, I suppose _you_ can refer to it as whatever you would like."

I clapped a hand over my mouth, fighting back a laugh, but Groose, not picking up on the blatant insult, was still standing there, grinning stupidly at the supposedly genius name he'd just bestowed upon the land.

"Are you coming?" Link asked, impatient for what seemed like the first time.

"I'm coming, Zelda!" Groose yelled suddenly. He rushed past all of us, dashing straight through the entrance to the temple.

"He won't last five minutes down here," Link sighed.

"I agree," Ghirahim said. It seemed as though he'd found someone he despised as much as Link. Maybe even more. "I say we let him die."

I smacked his arm, following Link and Groose into the temple.

* * *

By the time Link had explained everything that had happened to the 'Old Lady', she was regarding us all with her perpetually grim face.

"I see." She stared at the hero for a moment longer, and then she turned to Ghirahim. The Demon Lord was acting strange, I noticed. His posture was strangely slouched, and his eyes were darting around the temple nervously. I looked down, and I realized with a jolt that his hands were shaking.

I elbowed him gently. "You okay?"

"Fine," he muttered.

Old Impa narrowed her already wrinkled eyes at Ghirahim. "I suppose that by now you've finally joined the sensible side, eh?"

Ghirahim opened his mouth to answer, but Impa laughed a long, ragged laugh. It sounded as though she hadn't laughed in years, and if its possible for a voice to sound rusted, then hers did.

"Well done, child," she said, now addressing me. "I was starting to believe it wouldn't be possible."

I grinned in response. "I'm still not quite sure how I pulled it off."

Impa looked between the two of us. "The answer truly would be simple if you would only open up your eyes."

Before I could ask her what that meant, Groose barged in front of me.

"Hey Grannie, can you tell Link here that he can cut the whole hero act? I'm here now."

Impa looked at him with a calculating expression on her wrinkled face, her braid waving in front of her face like the pendulum of a clock.

"You," she began calmly, "have a role in this war, but not the one you seek. Link is the chosen hero."

Groose's jaw dropped, his face turning a dark shade of red. "What? _Him?_ No! Not that puny shrimp!"

Impa did her best to calm him. "This was decided long before either of you were born. But while you may not be the chosen hero, you do have a part to play as well."

"No! But..." Groose yelled in frustration, storming past us to the back of the temple.

Linked watched him with concern on his face. "Maybe we should..." he trailed off.

Old Impa sighed. "He simply must come to terms with his fate. You, on the other hand, must act quickly. The time has come for me to teach you to play the harp Her Grace has left you."

Leading him to a platform in the center of the room, Impa began to instruct him on how to play the golden harp he'd been carrying since that day at Lanayru Mines.

"This is ridiculous," Ghirahim mumbled, folding his arms. "What can we possibly hope to gain from that?"

"Patience, Grasshopper," I sighed.

"Don't belittle me," Ghirahim scowled.

"I'm not—" I jumped as the ground underneath my feet began to rumble violently. A large, dark pillar rose from the stone floor of the temple.

"Link, hit it with a Skyward Strike," Impa commanded.

Link raised his sword, but before the point had so much as touched the air above him, the ground began shaking again. It felt as though an earthquake was shaking the temple.

"What the—?" Groose exclaimed, looking around in terror. Impa's face paled.

"The Imprisoned is breaking from its seal, I'm afraid. Link, you must return to the pit to keep it at bay. You mustn't let let it reach the temple."

Link nodded. He bolted for the door.

"Wait!" I yelled, following.

He hesitated. "What?"

"I'm coming with you. I want to help."

"Like Hell you are!" Ghirahim grabbed my arm. "You're not going anywhere near my Master. I refuse to allow you anywhere near him."

"You, _what_?" I glared at him. "I can make my own decisions, thanks. And I've decided that I'm going to help Link."

"Maybe he's right, Marissa." Link reasoned. "If you really have been trying to start some uprising against him at Ghirahim's manor, I don't think it's the best idea to confront him."

I looked between the two of them. "I'm going, and neither of you can stop me."

Ghirahim looked as if he were about to protest, but then he summoned his rapier. "Fine. Then I'm coming as well."

"Ghirahim—"

"That's a poor choice, boy." Impa said suddenly. "If he senses your presence, you'll put all of us in grave danger. There is a chance that he may believe Malice succeeded in his mission. If so, then it is imperative that he remains confident in this fact. He must believe that you are dead."

Ghirahim sent a venomous look in her direction. "What are you suggesting, then? You think I'll simply warp away?"

"That would be the wisest choice."

"She's right, Ghir," I agreed. I gave him a reassuring smile. "We'll be fine. I've got Link to protect me, alright? Just teleport outside the Sealed Grounds. I'll meet you out there in ten."

Another tremor shook the temple. Ghirahim gave me a long look. "Don't do anything stupid, Little Remlit. You understand?"

I put my hands in my pockets. "Me? Do something stupid? Now when has _that _ever happened?"

The demon just laughed in response, snapping his fingers, and teleporting out of the temple with his usual swagger.

I glanced back at Link. "Come on. That beast isn't going to imprison itself!"

We ran outside, making our way down to the edge of the Pit until we could see the Seal. As soon as we approached, a sinking feeling spread throughout me. I watched the pulsating seal radiate dark magic, and I felt weak, as though I would never be able to fend off the creature it was coming from.

I exchanged a look with Link, and it appeared that he was feeling the same sudden apprehension. I told myself that it was simply Demise playing tricks with our minds, and I attempted to block him out.

More black smoke snaked from the Seal, and an enormous black, scaly head ascended from the ground in its place. Ghostly black hairs seared and rippled on its spine as it emerged from its prison. I realized I was beginning to shake. I'd always hated fighting the Imprisoned in the game, and I was sure fighting it in person wouldn't exactly be fun. But I refused to make Link do it on his own.

Luckily, this was only the first round. The Imprisoned should be fairly easy to defeat, especially considering his lack of arms. It'd still be tough.

The Imprisoned hadn't ever scared me during the simulation, but in person it was rather discouraging. Its sheer size alone was terrifying, and its lack of eyes unnerved me. Its gigantic gullet and huge, glistening teeth didn't exactly help.

"Alright, remember what I told you," I told Link. "Go for the toes."

With a simple nod, the blonde wasted no time in jumping down the levels of the pit. I followed him close behind, though it took me a moment to locate my own sailcloth.

When I finally reached Link's side, he'd bursted the toes on the Imprisoned left foot, and I helped him with the right.

Let me tell you a little something—when playing the game, you never particularly think twice about the strange ways you attack these bosses. But in person, attacking a creature's toes until they popped was kind of... disgusting. Luckily, they weren't like normal toes—they didn't have bones or anything. But they were filled with a gelatinous white substance. They were disturbing enough on the outside, being swollen, cream colored, and covered in little black snake-black veins. But attacking them was like popping a pimple—disgusting, and extremely tedious. And the _smell_... Disgusting!

Well, anyway, the first round of it wasn't so bad. It'd barely managed to make it onto the first level by the time we'd knocked it over. Link darted over to its head, and he had the wit to smack the Seal into the Imprisoned's skull without me saying a word.

Then the beast flipped over onto its belly. After shuffling up the slope of the Pit aways, it got to its feet and began walking, this time a bit faster.

That's when things started to go wrong. Link began attacking the toes again, but he misjudged the cadence of the beast's footsteps, and he didn't get out of the way of its next step.

"Ugh!" He caught the side of its foot in his chest, and he was sent flying off the side of the Pit.

"Link!" I stared after him in horror. But before I could go make sure he was alright, something bizarre happened. The Imprisoned's head snapped down at an angle that I'd never seen it move before. It almost seemed as though it was staring at me, which was especially terrifying, taking into account its lack of eyes.

Its jaws suddenly parted, as if it were tasting the air like a predator. Then it leaned down, so that I was _sure _that it was "looking" at me.

I felt a wave of cold terror wash over me. I couldn't move.

Suddenly, excruciating pain burst in my head. I stumbled backwards, wanting to scream but not having the voice or strength to do it.

_**"It's no use..." **_a deep, reptilian voice whispered in my ear. _**"Death... Death... Always Death... Death now...Death forever..."**_

_No! _I thought. _Get out, get out!_

The reptilian voice simply laughed. _**"Fool..."**_it hissed. _**"Blood... Blood... There will be blood... Yours, his, both... There is no escape."**_

_Whose? Link's?_ I directed back. I guess the voice didn't feel obligated to answer, because it answered with a single word, repeated over and over.

_**"Death..."**_

_** "Death..."**_

_** "Death..."  
**_"Marissa!"

My eyes snapped open, and I felt myself squinting at the bright blue sky. I was on the ground. Fantastic.

"Wha...?"

Link was kneeling next to me, his mouth twisted in a frown of concern, sweat rolling down his brow.

"You almost got crushed!" Link exclaimed, helping me to my feet. "Lucky I got to you fast enough to drag you away. But what were you doing on the ground?"

Deciding it wasn't wise to tell Link about my encounter in the middle of the battle, I simply mumbled, "I fell over."

Link sighed. "You alright?"

"I'm fine," I answered hoarsely.

"Brilliant." Link glanced at the Imprisoned. It was nearly at the temple.

"I managed to hit the stake into his head again. How long do we have to keep this up?"

I waited until a brief dizzy spell passed to answer. I felt like vomiting. Would Link mind vomit on his shoes? No, probably not. No vomiting, Marissa.

"We should only need to hit him one more time," I answered.

Link nodded. "I still have no clue how you know this," he said, "but I'll take your word for it."

We caught up with the beast. By now it was moving with a new vigor, its ragged breathing shaking the hollow. The sound of its footsteps seemed to reverberate inside me.

Once again, Link misjudged the beast's pace, but this time, he was kicked against the wall. Then he stumbled over to me. Before I could say anything, he collapsed to the ground.

"Oh, Link..." I bit my lip. The Imprisoned would be at the temple in what seemed like seconds. I had no time to stand around.

"Shit..." I moved Link to the side a few feet, to a patch of long, soft grass.

Then I approached one of the air currents. I'd done this a million times in the simulation. How hard could it be? It should be fun.

Apparently, it's very hard. I nearly blew myself back to Skyloft. By the time I'd finally made it to the cliff that towered above Demise's head, it was about to reach the temple.

"Not today, Domo," I muttered. Sprinting just past its forehead, I prepared to jump.

_I wonder if this is what Ghirahim classifies as stupid... _I thought, moments before leaping off the cliff, nearly sliding off the scales on the Imprisoned's head. Trust me, trying to walk on top of a slippery, round surface is challenge. Trying to walk on a moving creature with a slippery, round surface for a head is Mission Impossible. But the impossible has never stopped anyone before, has it?

I drew my sword, raised it above my head, and smacked it against the spike a few times. For a moment, nothing happened. I felt a brief thrill of terror. What if only Link's sword worked for this? After all, only he could activate the seal...

Apparently you didn't need a Master Sword to hit a monster in the head, though, because a bright light sprouted from the Seal, eventually encasing the creature's entire body in a bright white light. I was smart enough to remember to jump off of its head before it could burst into a bunch of itty bitty Dino Bits.

By that time Link had gotten back to his feet, and he met me at the bottom of the pit to seal the Imprisoned away once again.

As soon as he had successfully done so, I turned towards him, exhaustion crashing over me.

"You okay?" I asked. Link nodded, wincing as he held a hand over his ribcage. I made a note to heal him later. But I doubted I had the strength in that moment.

"Fine," he answered. "You?"  
"Fine."

"Guys!" Groose was running towards us earnestly, an excited look on his face. "That was... _awesome! _You kicked his scaly butt!"

"Yeah..." I averted my eyes away from him, looking back to Link. "I've gotta go," I told him. "I need to go find Ghirahim. Can you handle things here?"

"Of course," Link nodded.

"Good." I hesitated, looking back to the bruises breaking out on his arms, and then at the hand tenderly clutching his side. "Maybe I should..."

Link smiled weakly. "I'll be fine. Save your energy."

"Thanks," I gasped. "You should go back to Skyloft after you talk to the Old Woman. You need to rest."

"I will," Link promised.

"Well," I turned around. "Guess I'll be seeing you, then. Maybe I'll come back here tomorrow."

"See you then," Link agreed.

I used all my remaining energy to teleport out of the Sealed Grounds.

* * *

I successfully made it to my destination, but as soon as my feet touched solid ground, I found myself tipping over.

"Sky Child?" I barely registered Ghirahim's voice.

Then my face was in the grass, and I felt the world blur out around me.

* * *

When I came to, I was somewhere warm. I blinked open my eyes carefully, relieved that the room I was in was only dimly lit.

I turned my head to the side, meeting a dark brown gaze.

"Hey," I yawned, nodding to Ghirahim.

"Don't you 'hey' me!" The demon lord snapped. "Would you like to tell me why you _fainted _as soon as you made it outside? I'll have you know, I was waiting _much _longer than ten minutes."

"Aww, you were worried about me," I laughed, despite how much it hurt. "That's nice."

"Don't be smart with me," Ghirahim snapped. "What in Hylia's name were you thinking, fighting someone like Demise?"

"It wasn't that bad. Link was the one who got hurt the most. I just... fell, that's all."

"Hmph," Ghirahim pursed his lips. "We are not done with this talk, you understand?"

"I understand," I mumbled. Then something occurred to me. "Hey, Ghir? This isn't my room..."

"Academic observation..." Ghirahim said dryly. "Brooke was cleaning your room, so I brought you to mine.

"Oh..." I blinked. "Thanks."

Ghirahim waved away my gratitude. "It matters little. It's not as if I could have simply left you there. Now rest."

"Alright." I didn't need to be told twice. I fell asleep in a matter of seconds. Maybe I'd tell Ghirahim about that voice in my head... but it could wait. Sleep, on the other hand, could not.

* * *

The next morning I woke up to the sound of someone moving around.

"Ghirahim?"

"Yes?"

I looked across the room, blinking my eyes open. To my surprise, Ghirahim had not slept beside me that night. Not that he'd ever try anything—his intentions of sleeping beside me on previous nights had been purely for an innocent desire for company. But last night he'd slept on the sofa in his room. I wasn't sure why. I stopped thinking about this, however, as soon as I saw Ghirahim.

"What are you wearing?" I blurted out.

Ghirahim looked anxiously down at his outfit. It was as though it was a slightly more formal spin off of his normal attire. He wore a sort of cape-suit hybrid. I guess its not easy to describe, but it wasn't as odd looking as I'm making it sound. It was like a slightly longer version of a tailcoat.

"I thought it was a certain degree more fashionable than what I normal wear. Am I mistaken?"

I shook my head. "Nope. You actually look pretty sharp."

Ghirahim beamed.

I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes. For the millionth time, I felt a surge of happiness over one of the advantages of living in this world. Somehow, every time I went through that portal, my vision suddenly became 20/20. I hadn't really noticed until a few days of living here, but it was true. While in this dimension, my contacts seemed to vanish, and I could see just fine. That is something that, despite just mentioning it now, I will never take for granted. For instance, back in my world, my fingers would be searching the bedside table for my glasses. But I didn't have to worry about it in this world. I guess it was just another way Hylia played her mind games with me. It was a temptation, and I'd be damned if I didn't take advantage of it.

"What's the occasion?" I asked. "You got a hot date?"

"Well..." Ghirahim hesitated. "Perhaps I do. This is the day Leal invited the suitresses to come."

"Oh..." I bit my lip. "When are they coming?"

Ghirahim shook his head, crossing his room to his dresser in a few swift footsteps. "They arrived last night, Leal said." He opened up one of the drawers, taking out a silky strip of fabric. "Can you tie this for me?"

"I..." I blinked. "Yeah, of course..."

As I got to my feet and crossed the room to his side, I felt a strange sensation in my stomach. It was like a feeling of dread.

I pushed this feeling aside for Ghirahim's sake. Taking Ghirahim's cloth, I tied it around his neck. Smoothing it against his chest. I stared at him. He was nearly unrecognizable. He no longer wore that strip of purple eye shadow stuff underneath his eyes. I'm actually not sure when he stopped. He just did. Actually, he still wore a bit directly underneath—just not nearly as much. It no longer made him look feminine. In fact, everything about his outfit seemed like something a normal male demon would wear. It was strange. For once, he looked _good_, even for my standards.

This thought only made the sensation of dread grow and grow.

* * *

"I'm going to stay with you, alright?" I chirped, keeping pace with him on his way to the courtroom. "I can tell you which ones are fake and which ones are worth your time."

Ghirahim chuckled. "You have an eye for that, do you?"

"Sure. There are dozens of ingenuine people where I come from. They're the worst."

"Be that as it may, I must make my own decisions," Ghirahim stated firmly. Then, almost more gently, he added, "but you may accompany me if you wish."

When we reached the courtroom, there was a group of demon women standing regally in front of his throne. Leal introduced them one by one as Ghirahim took his seat.

"This is Lady Asha of Lord Bartholomew's manor," Leal stated, leading her forward. Ghirahim and I looked her over. She was short and a bit stout, but she didn't let the surplus flesh distract from her glamour. She had dark chestnut hair, brown eyes with long black lashes, but a mouth that seemed perpetually unsatisfied.

"Thank you, Leal," Ghirahim said. Leal took this as a hint to dismiss her and nudged her aside. Normally, I would be disgusted with him by judging someone by their appearance, but I didn't like the vibe I got from her, so I supposed it was for the best.

A thin, blonde demon was next. She had gorgeous wavy hair, long legs, and a twinkle in her eyes. The only thing that could have detracted from her appearance was her slightly crooked nose. I wondered if it had been broken.

"This is Lady Naomara," Leal introduced her, "Lord Verdis's niece."

Ghirahim had been looking at her with interest, but he seemed suddenly disheartened. "You are beautiful," he told the girl.

"Thank you, my lord." she giggled.

"Tell me," Ghirahim narrowed his eyes. "Do you have any hobbies?"

"Why, yes, I do!" She beamed. "I love to swim. I also knit!"

"Fascinating," Ghirahim said kindly. "Why don't you talk with Asha?"

Her smile faded. "Yes, my lord."

She turned and walked away. Ghirahim would later explain to me that he would have very much liked to pursue her, but he did not trust Lord Verdis. After all, there were no lakes anywhere near his estate, so he suspected that she had been lying about swimming. If she had lied about that, he reasoned, she could very well be a spy sent by Verdis. After all, he still wasn't sure that Verdis trusted me after the meeting.

"This," Leal went on, "is Sahra."

And so it continued. Leal went through the line, and Ghirahim did not seem interested by any of them. Sahra was an amazing singer. And so were two of the others. A few claimed to be talented cooks or seamstresses, and others seemed to simply hope that their looks alone would excuse them from needing a personality.

Ghirahim seemed to be growing actively impatient and disappointed. And I suppose I could see why. They really were all the same. None of them stood out. They were all gorgeous, but they all seemed clueless.

Eventually, Ghirahim had dismissed the last suitor. I shook my head at him in astonishment. By then I was half-sitting, half-leaning on the arm of his throne. He didn't seem to care.

"See what I mean?" Ghirahim asked.

"Yeah," I said. "I see."

"Some of them don't even seem single to me," Ghirahim muttered.

"Yeah? How so?"

Ghirahim nodded to one of them, whose name had escaped me.

"Something tells me she already has a lover..."

"What..? _Oh_..." I noticed what he was referring to, and I put a hand over my mouth. "How could she expect no one to notice?"

"No one ever said the young demon women in this realm were particularly smart," Ghirahim chuckled.

I smacked his arm. "The men aren't the sharpest either.

We were interrupted by Leal, who approached us after escorting the rest of them out.

"There's one more..." he said, his voice low, and almost grim.

"I'm done seeing suitresses for the day," Ghirahim said. "Send her away."

Leal winced. "Perhaps you should see her first... That might just change you mind."

Ghirahim scowled. "Fine, but make it fast."

Leal nodded, exiting the room.

"Who is she?" I asked. "I wonder why _she's _so special."

"Probably slipped Leal a few rupees," Ghirahim joked.

"Or maybe he just feels bad for her," I laughed.

"Oh, you may be right!" Ghirahim laughed. "Now I _really _wonder what she looks like."

He didn't have to wonder long. We didn't hear the door open, or the click of heels approaching us, but we sure heard the rich voice that interrupted us.

"I heard you were accepting suitresses, Ghira," the woman began, putting her hands on her hips. "Am I too late?"

Ghirahim's head snapped up. I guess I could understand. The woman was rather beautiful. She was tall and lanky. She wore a dazzling red dress over her textbook hourglass figure. Her hair was a rich red, which complemented the dress more than you'd expect.

Ghirahim seemed to notice none of this. He got to his feet. I wasn't even sure if he'd meant to. He just did.

For a second, neither of them said anything. Then Ghirahim managed one word:

_"Roseza?"_

* * *

**_Surprise!_**

**I have a couple movie references in there if you caught them. Impa's lines I wrote a long while ago in my notebook, and I can no longer remember if I based them off her actual dialogue or kinda did my own thing. I know a few must have to be original. Either way, Impa belongs to Nintendo.**

**Well, there you have it. As always, I'd love a review! Favs/follows are always exciting as well. You guys are the best!**

**Remember, whatever you're going through, April Showers bring May flowers. Seems like the showers are about over then, huh?**

**One can only hope.**

**~Catwhiskers24~**


	70. Chapter 2-8: Flash From the Past

**Who's ready for another _extremely _delayed chapter?!  
**

**Well... I'm stressed. That's a first AHAHAHA.**

**Anyway, my life is one thing after another and now I keep missing updates and... Well, you get the picture. I apologize. A good person shouldn't make excuses. I really suck.**

**Regardless, I did manage to finish this chapter. By the way, I noticed you guys seemed intrigued by the new character. I'm happy to say that this is one aspect of the story that has been part of the plan since the rough draft, so I pretty much know EXACTLY what I'm going to do with her. You guys will just have to wait and see!  
**

**Special thanks to all who have reviewed and sent me fan art, which really does make my day! Love you all!****  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own LOZ**

* * *

**Ghirahim's POV**

My legs seemed to stand on their own accord. One moment I was on the throne, the next I was standing in front of my long lost childhood friend.

"It's been a long time, now hasn't it, Ghira?" Roseza remarked, drawing ever closer.

"Yes," I breathed. "It has."

Roseza was a bit taller than I remembered, though it seemed her sudden growth spurt was due in part to the high heels she wore so elegantly.

Her elegant red dress clung tightly to her figure, showcasing the curves of her hips and chest.

She looked as though she had not aged a moment since the last time I'd seen her. She had wavy ginger hair that curled around the side of her neck, framing her face perfectly. She had high cheekbones and a small nose, which led up to her clearly defined eyebrows and to her eyes themselves.

I'd known Roseza for quite nearly my entire life, but I never did decide what color her eyes were. Sometimes, in the level of light that there was in the courtroom, they appeared a warm brown, with little flecks of green here and there. Other times her eyes appeared gray, or blue or green or hazel or even purple. The color seemed to change from one moment to the next, though that must have been because of a trick of the light.

Regardless, she blinked her captivating eyes at me, fluttering her long, dark eyelashes. The look on her face told of a secret joke that she was keeping to herself and would only tell you if you got real close.

"I've missed you, Rahim," she said quietly.

"And I you, Rose," I responded.

Roseza swept past my companion, who was staring at us in confusion. Then she wrapped me in her arms in a tight hug. As I held onto her, I could smell her constant comforting scent, a scent of flowers with a touch of cinnamon. It occurred to me that before the Sky Child's arrival, Roseza had been the last person to embrace me.

Her smell reminded me of the fresh air of a small village I once knew, and the twinkle in her eyes brought me back to brighter, simpler times.

* * *

"_You_ _can't catch me, Rahim!" Roseza jeered, her torn green dress dragging on the ground as she dashed away from me. I followed her at a leisurely pace. She always seemed to have more energy to escape me than I could ever have had to chase her._

_ She skipped across the manor courtyard, treading across the grass carelessly. Weaving between the other nobles, she darted out of the manor and onto the grounds out back. I continued to chase her, laughing as I ran at her._

_ Suddenly she stopped, and I ran past her. When I turned back to look at her, she was holding her training sword._

_ "Rose?" I tilted my head. "Why do you have that? Demise said we're not supposed to..."_

_ She rolled her eyes. "He told us to carry our weapons on us whenever we leave the manor."_

_ "No he didn't. He told us to never take our swords out of the training hall"_

_ Roseza gave me a childish smile. "Yeah, well he also told us to train, didn't he?"_

_ I gave her point a thought. Deciding that she was on to something, I snapped my fingers and summoned my own blade._

_ Her eyes grew huge._

_ "Rahim! You never told me you figured out how to access the pocket dimension!"_

_ "Yeah, well I didn't tell Demise either!"_

_ Roseza looked a bit scared at first, which didn't make sense, as she was _never _scared, but her curiosity quickly overwhelmed her. She grinned excitedly, her missing front tooth painfully noticeable from her wide smile._

_ "What else can you do?"_

_ "Er... I don't know yet," I responded. "But if I find out..." I grinned for a moment, slyly adding, "I ain't tellin' you!"_

_ "You're not supposed to talk like that."_

_ I whipped around. Platnox stepped out from behind the tree where he'd been hiding. Despite his sudden decision to confront me, he lacked a certain confidence, and he refused to look me in the eye. He'd always been skittish. Demise had found him in the remains of his decimated village several years ago, and he'd assumed that Platnox's nervous disposition was a temporary effect of his village's destruction, but it seemed he wouldn't change any time soon._

_ "What exactly do you mean by that?" I snapped, towering over the younger demon with the near half-foot I had on him. _

_ "You're not supposed to use commoner speak," Platnox responded slowly, carefully pausing before each word._

_ "Who's gonna stop me,kid?"_

_ "Master said..."_

_ I laughed. "Master? You can just call him 'Demise'. You realize that, right?"_

_ His face turned red. "You are going to get us into trouble..."_

_ I continued to glare at him, shoving him. "Then leave. Nobody said you have to be here."_

_ He clenched his fists, turning away._

_ Roseza spoke up. "Oh, come on now, Plat. Stay with us. You can spar with us!"_

_ I turned my glare towards her. Plat looked down at his tattered shoes, his red face yet a brighter red. He snuck a glance at her, before quickly looking away._

_ "Come on!" She looked at the both of us excitedly. "It will be fun!"_

_ I sighed in resignation. "Fine." I looked at Platnox. "You got a sword, kid?"_

_ He shook his head, finding a thick stick on the ground. "I'll use this."  
I rolled my eyes at him. "You're pathetic."_

_ "Am not."_

_ "Yeah, you are. You are a coward."_

_ His eyes flashed. "I am _not _a coward!" He shouted, balling his fists. I blinked, taken aback. I'd never heard him raise his voice before._

_ "Plat..." Roseza said quietly. "He doesn't mean it, alright? You're just as brave as any one of us."_

_ "Yeah, right." I smirked. "She's just saying that because she feels bad for you."_

_ "She is not! I'm brave!"_

_ I flared my nostrils. "Sure you are."_

_ He looked at me with absolute hatred, and then he charged at me._

_ I raised my sword, standing back a few paces._

_ "Don't hurt him!" Roseza warned, glancing worriedly at my weapon._

_ I ignored her, lunging for Platnox. But he was nimble, and he dodged my blows._

_ Platnox looked afraid, but there was a defiant spark intermingled with his fear. "Leave me alone you... you halfling!"_

_ He turned tail and ran, and I chased after him, vision red. How dare he saw something like that? _

_ I was hot on his heels for several yards, and then my foot caught on an uneven patch of the ground. I landed hard on my knees, using my hands to break my fall._

_ "Ghirahim!" Roseza ran to me, and even Platnox doubled back._

_ Wincing, and close to tears, I gingerly rolled into a sitting position, clutching my knee. A deep gash was slowly oozing blood._

_ "Rahim, are you alright?" Roseza asked, shocked. She knelt down beside me as I nodded._

_ Platnox watched from the side as she put her small fingers on my knee._

_ I winced again._

_ Without seeming to give it much thought, Roseza leaned forward and pressed her delicate lips just below the cut. An oddly warm sensation crept across the wound and I seemed to forget about the pain, just for a second. _

_ "There," she announced in a syrupy voice. "All better!"_

_ I stared at her with huge eyes, and Platnox looked down at the ground. Roseza shrugged, smiling sweetly. _

_ "Roseza...?" I continued to gawk at her, confused._

_ She put her hands on her hips. "What, no thank you?"_

_ I blinked. "I...er...It hurts..."_

_ She rolled her eyes. Then she glared at each of us in turn."Sure it does. That's what you get for leaving me behind."_

* * *

**Marissa's POV**_  
_

When, in the course of human (or demon) events, it becomes necessary for one person to dissolve into the background and simply disappear from a situation, it's a pretty damn good idea for them to actually get themselves the hell out of there ASAP.

On an awkward scale of strained silence to televised marriage rejection, this situation was about a six. Don't get me wrong—I really felt strange just standing there and watching the two reunite, but it could have been worse. I mean, it's not like I had feelings for Ghirahim. If I had, though, this situation would get _real _uncomfortable. But I didn't, so it was cool.

Even still, I did not know how to feel. After all, there I was, just standing there stupidly as Ghirahim hugged what seemed to be an old friend. I didn't know Ghirahim had _friends._

I also wasn't sure how to feel about this '_Roseza'_ character. Ghirahim seemed to trust her, so that means I should too... Right?

It was only... Something felt off. Part of it was the fact that this newcomer looked _way _too attractive. She was... _perfect. _She had a flawless figure, dazzling features, a silky voice, and an overwhelming aura of confidence. You know those pretty models you see on magazine covers? Or the breathtaking girls you can find on Instagram? Or basically every female celebrity ever known to man? You know how when you look at them, you just feel like the most pathetic, soggy potato in the universe? Well, Roseza had the type of looks that multiplied that awful sensation by a thousand. There almost seemed to be something mystical about her.

I guess that's to be expected, considering that if she was some old friend of Ghirahim's, likely enough she had that anti-aging spell everyone around here seemed to be under. That particular fact seemed ironic, as her body was that of an hourglass, her voice flowing like time itself. But her face was without a single wrinkle, as if the sands themselves had passed harmlessly over her skin.

She was so confident in the way she acted. Ghirahim was not one to act warmly towards the people around him, so the fact that she was able to waltz into the courtroom after who knows _how long _and just hug him meant that they must have been fairly close.

As I thought about this, Ghirahim and Roseza separated.

Ghirahim's hands lingered on Roseza's forearms for a moment. Then he backed up and bowed elegantly. "Please, Roseza, won't you stay for lunch?"  
She nodded, tilting her head a little. "How could I say no to you, old friend?"

Ghirahim laughed heartily, a look of wild wonder in his eyes. Without so much as giving me a second look, he lead her out of the courtroom. I exchanged a look with Leal. The butler looked troubled.

"Leal?"

"Yes, M'lady?"

I nodded towards the door. "Should I follow them?"

"Oh..." He blinked wearily. "Yes, I suppose you should. I will have lunch prepared immediately."

* * *

Roseza, being the guest of honor, got to take my seat at the table. But Platnox, being the wonderfully strange demon he was, let me have his seat on Ghirahim's other side, and he knelt beside me. He was tall enough that his shoulders were still way over the table, but some of the other demons seemed appalled at this undignified way of sitting. Regardless, though, Ghirahim was too occupied with his guest to scold his adopted brother. In fact, I doubt he even noticed either of us.

I noticed Roseza was occasionally giving me reproachful looks, but I attempted to make conversation with her anyway.

"So you and Ghirahim have known each other for a while, then?"

She nodded, taking a swift drink. "We've known each other since before Demise was locked away." Then she cleared her throat. "I'm sorry, but I don't seem to know you..."

"I'm Ocean," I said instinctively, giving her a kind smile. "I'm Ghirahim's... Guard..."

"It's a pleasure," she responded, but I struggled to tell how genuine her words were.

I noticed Ghirahim had been giving me a long look after I used my alias, but I tried to block him out.

"I like your dress," I said quietly, still trying to be friendly.

"Thank you, dear," she smiled. "And..." she failed to hide her disgust, if she'd even tried in the first place. "Your...outfit... really suits you."

I smiled back, trying to act like I thought she was complimenting me when I said, "Thanks!"

Roseza and Ghirahim began conversing in low voices, and then I was just sitting there, picking at the food on my plate. Platnox was being strangely silent, and after my attempt at conversation with Roseza had ended with such blatant disinterest, I decided to remain silent.

Now, I suppose you're still wondering about the other demons who sat in the noble seats of Ghirahim's table, so since I have nothing better to do, I guess now's a good time as any to tell you. There was Fester, a tall, thin demon with greasy black hair and deep green eyes. He was usually very silent. Demise found him when he was very young. He'd stumbled out of the woods on the southern side of the estate, and the Demon King had carried him back to the manor to join the other orphaned children.

Then there were the twins. They appeared to be twins, at least. It was mostly because of the way they dressed, in bright yellow smock-like garments underneath a baggy white overcoat. Their faces were similar, but not similar enough to tell for sure if they were related, or if they were rather only quite fond of each other's fashion sense.

The twin on the right leaned forward, and in a hushed voice, said, "I seem to recall that he and Roseza were friends as children. That's what I think, anyway." He turned toward his twin. "Do you think so, Gemenye?"

Gemenye thought so as well.

They began talking too quietly for me to hear, so I tuned them out soon after that.

Beyond them was Ekonth, a hulking demon who must have been at least 7'5"(which was a remarkable size even for his species), whose name seemed to catch in your throat like a gasp for air. He was most well known for the impact-induced scars spanning his knuckles, which, after seeing him walk out of his room with blood soaked fists and the shrieks of an anguished woman behind him, some still debated if were from beating his lover or the man he found in his bed.

In general, most of the demons at the table had a similar story to Ghirahim's, in that most had been orphaned at a very young age during the first war and been brought to the manor by Demise.

And then there was Kamzi, who unlike the other demons, had run from his home in a distant village and spent many days on his own, fending for himself as a young child, which in his opinion was arguably more traumatizing. At least, he would argue if anyone was bold enough to argue back. As a lanky, skin-and-bone creature with greasy patches of hair and bulging eyes, Kamzi wasn't your traditional type of intimidating, but he was unnerving in his own way.

Now, typically Demise did not accept youngsters from villages beyond those on his estate, but he'd quickly had a change of heart when he discovered a mere child standing over the mangled body of the unfortunate guard who'd confronted him. Needless to say, because of the mercy and home Demise had provided him with, Kamzi was willing to become anything from a murderer to a martyr for the Demon King.

There was Platnox, who, as far as I knew, had come to the manor at around the same time as Ghirahim.

I did not know Roseza's story, but I had a feeling that I would soon pick up on enough of the gossip that was sure to come to be able to discern an idea of her past. In fact, there were other nobles that I haven't even mentioned, because I never really found out much about them. I still don't even know a few of their names.

But then... Then there was Ghirahim. The other nobles knew very little about his past, and God knows he told me nothing when I worked up the courage to ask. And because of this, no one quite knew exactly why Ghirahim had been deemed worthy of his position over the other demons.

So, in essence, the manor housed an army, run by a slew of near-immortal orphans who were trained to kill. The reason for all of this was unclear to me, but then, no one was quite sure whether or not Demise ever had children, so perhaps he'd wanted to find the perfect heir. Though, an obscure rumor has it that he once had a child, but that it fled the manor for mysterious—but completely understandable—reasons.

It may surprise you to know that the nobles weren't entirely fond of one another. Some did seem to consider themselves allies, but others seemed to despise everyone. I could pick that much up from the disdainful looks they would give one another. Even so, I liked to believe that I had no enemies, but I knew that wasn't true.

In all honesty, everything was fake and artificial in that manor. Everyone pretended to have relationships, but it was pointless. In the end, all any one broken spirit craved was one thing—

Revenge.

And for most, that sadly could not be found in one another. And sadder yet, neither could solace.

I guess it was for that reason that Demise kept these orphans at his manor. They were fighters. It was easy enough to manipulate anyone at such a young age. It didn't hurt, either, that these children had an old hatred towards Hylia for orphaning them—a hatred that Demise had watered and harvested since they were very small.

Besides Hylia, though, the second most hated person in the manor appeared to be Ghirahim. Everyone seemed to loath him. And it wasn't just for a single reason. Of course, there were commonly lamented issues, like how some demons wished Ghirahim would just forget about Demise and take control of the realm, while others wished he would stop stalling and finally resurrect Demise (Ghirahim had forbidden me from telling anyone what the real reason and culprit of his stabbing had been). Then there were the smaller issues, the 'he is too full of himself', or the 'he needs to distribute some more of the wealth Demise left with him.' The thing was, very few people in the manor had ever really genuinely cared for Ghirahim.

Some really did care about him, like Brooke, and Leal, and Platnox, and me, of course. But many did not. Of course, some did _pretend _to care for him. The most obvious culprits of this that come to my mind were the twins. I didn't get to know them very personally, but even today, years after all of this happened, I remember the twins well—they were the most hilariously, entertainingly fake personalities in the manor, as well as half the land that they so carefully stomped upon, with a great deal of shown care and expressed carelessness.

The sad part was that Ghirahim knew this, and it made him despise the other nobles more still. Yes, Ghirahim hated the others just as much as they hated him, but they all attempted to fake pleasantness towards each other. The fact was, Ghirahim needed their support, no matter how ingenuine, and they needed the wealth that they knew he had.

I did not understand it, how Ghirahim would set up a lavish dinner party quite nearly every night, but he would find everything that his company discussed dry and insipid. Yes, I still didn't understand why he threw dinner parties that he despised with guests that he hated with even more fire.

Now you all may be wondering why I chose to tell you all of this at this particular moment, but I do have my reasons. Imagine you're Ghirahim, and you're the leader of a plethora of people who despise you. Imagine that you have just a couple steadfast friends, but sometimes you struggle to trust even them. Now imagine that your childhood friend, the person you would probably trust more than anyone else, has just returned after countless years to seek your affection.

If you were to stand in Ghirahim's shoes, it was hard not to see why he was so enchanted by Roseza's arrival, and why she was occupying so much of his attention. Too, if you stood in his shoes, and then in mine, you'd be thinking what I was thinking at that moment—my days of being Ghirahim's closest companion were soon to be over. Ghirahim and Roseza were about to pull a classic Simba and Nala. It was inevitable. I was screwed. I was happy for him, but I was screwed.

* * *

**Ghirahim's POV**

After the conclusion of dinner, I stood up and turned toward Roseza. "What do you think, Rose?" I asked. "Would you like to stay for a spell?"

She stood up and curtsied. "I would be honored, Rahim."

I felt a shiver of excitement come on. "Has Leal discussed sleeping arrangements with you?"

She shook her head. "No, he hasn't."

"Well..." I bit my lip. "Tonight, you can take any room you please. If anyone else already resides in the room, they shall be moved to the spare servant quarters. I will not have you, my special guest, be subjected to such a stuffy space."

A smile rose to her perfect lips. "I thank you, my lord."

I nodded. "Now, I believe I was planning on giving you a tour of the manor. You know, to refresh your memory?"

She smirked. "Why Rahim, you do not underestimate my memory _that_ much, do you?"

I laughed nervously. "My apologies."

She shook her head. "You know, maybe my memory is a little fuzzy. Perhaps you should take me on a tour after all." She paused. "You know..." she raised an eyebrow. "A _personal _tour?"

"Of course, of course." I nodded to the other nobles. "You are dismissed."

Roseza and I turned to leave, but I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around, staring in surprise at the concerned face of the girl.

"Ghirahim, we were supposed to help Link again today. Remember?"

I felt my heart sink. "Well..." I glanced at Roseza. "You can handle it without me, can't you?"

She looked down. "Yeah," she agreed. "I can."

She warped away almost immediately, and I was left alone with Roseza.

* * *

**Marissa's POV**

"Sure, I can handle it without you," I muttered under my breath as I strode through Faron Woods. "It's not like I'm here to protect you or anything... Oh wait!"  
I guess I didn't need to protect him from Roseza... did I?

I still didn't trust her. She reminded me too much of the super attractive, popular girls who go to my school. I didn't trust them, either. Especially not a certain few of them. They were the kind of girls who always seemed to be with a boy. And it wasn't just a friendly relationship, one could usually assume, judging but what they wore. And something about Roseza reminded me of some of those girls, from her perfect features to the shine of the gloss on her full lips.

I was obviously just paranoid for his sake, but I still couldn't shake the feeling.

By the time I'd made it to the Sealed Temple, Link was nowhere in sight. I saw Groose, though. Trying to avoid another argument with him, I tried to be as friendly as possible.

"Hey," I greeted him.

He looked up from his glum state. He seemed too depressed to hate me.

"Hey yourself."

I looked around. "Hey...uh... have you seen Link today?"

"Yeah."

I blinked. "Brilliant. Where is he?"

Groose shrugged. "'Dunno. Said something about having to do something in Skyloft. He's not going to come back to the surface until tomorrow, apparently."

"Oh..." I frowned. "Did... Did he say anything about what he was going to do?"

"Nah," Groose muttered.

"Okay..." I nodded. "Thanks, Groose."

"Yeah, whatever."

Taking that as my cue to leave, I turned to go. But just before I warped away, I turned to him and forced a smile for his sake. "Chin up, Groose," I told him warmly. "You'll find your place. I promise."

I didn't give him a chance to respond before I warped away.

* * *

**That's a wrap!  
**

**If you guys could please leave your thoughts, that would be so appreciated! We're almost at 600!**

**Another big thanks to all of you, and if you have questions, please ask :)**

**Summer is almost here!**

**~Catwhiskers24~**


	71. Chapter 2-9: It's Fine

**...**

**Life is tough, my excuses have been rough.**

**It sure has been a while, huh? **

**Anyway, welcome back to my little fanfic here. **

**I have a couple reviews to answer. Roseza's name is basically pronounced as Rosa, but I wanted a more exotic spelling. **

**Anyway, I'm really preoccupied at the moment, so I'm probably missing a few. In the meantime, here's the story...**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Loz.**

* * *

**Ghirahim's POV**

At the conclusion of the tour, I took Roseza upstairs so that she could choose a room. As she walked beside me, her hip would brush against me lightly now and again. Sometimes she would glance at me bashfully, and other times she wouldn't acknowledge it.

"Which one's yours?" Roseza asked softly, looking down the hallway.

I led her to my room, patting the door. "This one. Where would you like to stay?"

Roseza's eyes fell upon Ocean's door. "Well, what about this one? It's right next to yours, after all. It'd be good in case I need anything overnight."

I hesitated. "Someone is occupying it, but..."

Roseza proceeded to open the door. I heard a gasp from inside.

"Uh... Hey guys!" The girl greeted us, flustered. "You kind of startled me there."

Roseza turned towards me with a strange expression. "My apologies," she muttered to the girl.

"You're back pretty soon," I remarked, nodding to her as she stepped out of her room.

"Yeah," she nodded. "Turns out Link had some things to do up in Skyloft, so it seems we have another day or two before he'll need our help."

Roseza looked between the two of us in confusion. "Who is this...'_Link_'?"

"Oh... Uh..." She smiled suddenly. "My boyfriend."

I gaped at her in shock._ When did that happen?_

_Later,_ she mouthed to me.

Roseza looked between the two of us in confusion. "Well, whatever is going on here, I get the feeling that I'm not involved in it." She touched my arm. "I'm going to go find a different room."

Ocean grimaced. "You don't have to..."

Roseza gave her an oddly strained smile. "It's fine."

My Skyloftian companion frowned. "But I can...

It was too late. Roseza had already turned and headed down the hallway.

"Boyfriend?" I hissed, as soon as Roseza was out of earshot.

She sent a lopsided smirk in my direction. "You know, if you're really into Roseza, then maybe you shouldn't act jealous about this."

I continued to stare at her in shock.

"Kidding," she laughed. "I just said that to try to dismantle any potential tension."

"And by that you mean...?"

She let out a sigh. "You really are thick, aren't you? Well, just think about it. Roseza and you are potentially going to have a relationship. I don't think she'd like the idea of you gallivanting into a dangerous situation that indirectly involves you with another single female. If she thinks we're talking about my troublesome boyfriend instead of this whole mess, then maybe you guys actually have a chance."

I nodded. "Very well. I shall play along, then. But what are we to do about the boy, then?"

"Link? Well, if he's back in Skyloft, then there isn't much we can do until he gets back. I'm going to go to the infirmary until dinner. If you guys need me, you know where to find me." She turned to leave.

"Understood," I responded. "I suppose I should talk to Roseza now?"

She smiled meekly. "That might be a good idea."

"Alright." I nodded to her. "See you at dinner, then."

"Oh, and Ghir?" she called, pausing. "I don't know what type of person Roseza is... And you can be a little... harsh..."

"And?"

"Just..." she shook her head. "Be careful, alright?"

"I will," I assured her.

She nodded. "See you around, then."

I watched her head down the stairs, and then I turned to follow Roseza.

* * *

**Marissa's POV**

The infirmary was lonely. I'm gonna tell you guys that now. It was so empty nowadays, that I was starting to wonder why we even _needed _a hospital wing. Like, sure enough, once in a while an injured demon or bokoblin would come in with some sort of injury, and I'd heal them, but it wasn't all that often.

Part of it was due to the fact that there were other demons scattered about the manor who knew a thing or two about healing, and it seemed that most injured parties would rather find one of their friends to take care of a more minor injury than come to me. Another part of it was that the demons seemed to retain their health rather well, so sickness was seldom a problem. I suppose that was another benefit of being near-immortal. But beyond that, there had been no known Rebel activity as of late, so no one had really been needing my help.

Quiet times like these made me wonder what Herb did with all this time over the years. He probably would have gotten bored fairly often. What did he do with all this time? I would usually tidy up and check on our supplies, but since a patrol of bokoblins had aided me in collecting some useful herbs, we'd all but replaced what had been destroyed when Herb was...

Anyway, what I mean to say is I've had a lot of time to myself since replacing him as the head healer. I was often left alone with my own thoughts. I know for most people that can be dangerous, but I had learned to enjoy such times. It was an excellent time to reflect. But... I'd done enough of that lately, and all it seemed to do was make me stressed and depressed.

I sat on one of the beds, exhausted. I wasn't sure what to do with my time. Until today, my go-to idea would be to find Ghirahim, but it seemed that he was rather... occupied.

Half of me wanted to take a trip up to Skyloft to see what Link was up to, but then the other half of me, the half that _won_, seemed to lack the energy to get roped up in one of his various side quests. No, I wanted to stay in the manor, I just wasn't entirely sure what to do for the time being.

Having nothing else to do, and knowing that Roseza and Ghirahim would want their time to catch up, I curled up on the bed and tucked in for a little catnap. Unprofessional, I know. But in that moment, I really didn't care.

* * *

By the time Leal had come to get me for dinner, I really didn't have any sense of time at all. I wasn't sure exactly how long I'd been asleep, but he was kind enough to not bring it up. I groggily stumbled down to the dining room.

Roseza and Ghirahim were already there, and once again, they were having another personal conversation. I took my seat as per usual, and decided to try a different approach with this meal.

"Hey Plat," I said quietly, elbowing him.

Platnox looked up from his drink, wiping his mouth. "What can I do you for?"

"Who exactly is Roseza, anyway?"

Platnox lowered his eyes. "His wildly attractive childhood friend. Why do you ask?"

I honestly didn't know myself.

"Curiosity," I responded instead. "Anyway, where has she been all these years?"  
Platnox gave a half-hearted shrug, finishing his drink. "That is the question, isn't it?"

I gave him a confused look. "So, what? She just disappeared out of thin air one day?"

Platnox shrugged again. "Something like that."

"Also..." I bit my lip. "When they used to hang out together... Were they like..." I nodded to them awkwardly. "...that?"

Platnox followed my gaze, watching the two interact.

"I don't think so."

I was quiet for a moment, and then I asked, "Did you know her? Like, personally?"

He didn't answer, so I decided to stop talking.

After dinner, Ghirahim said something about taking Roseza down to the training hall.

"Do you want to come?" He asked, after a moment's hesitation.

I blinked in surprise. "Uh... Sure. Why?"

Ghirahim checked behind him, making sure that Roseza was still at the table.

"I'm not sure how to converse with her," he said finally. "But after all, you seem to be female, so perhaps you could give me advice."

I gave him a look. "I '_seem to be female'_?"

"You understand what I mean."

I sighed in exasperation. "Yeah, I get it. But what's the problem? I mean, I now know that you guys were friends as kids, so don't you have a lot of catching up to do?"

"Yes, but..." he hesitated. "She doesn't like talking about her past, it seems."

"Why not?"

He shook his head. "I don't know. She simply becomes distant whenever I attempt to ask her about her time away."

"Alright, well if it's going to be that difficult, then fine. I'll be your wingman—or, I guess, _wingwoman._ But maybe you should try to—"

Ghirahim slapped a hand over my mouth. Roseza was coming toward us. I silenced myself, keeping pace with them was we headed to our destination.

It didn't take long until I was strongly regretting my decision to accompany them. I felt as though my presence burdened them. I didn't think Roseza particularly liked me. I wasn't sure why, but I got that vibe from her.

I don't know if you guys have ever felt like this, but in that moment, all I wanted to do was apologize for my existence and disappear. That was a very recurring feeling I had, in all honesty.

The only thing I could really do, though, was attempt to start conversation.

"So I hear you used to live here, Roseza," I began quietly. She turned toward me slightly as we walked.

"Yes, I did."

"And you've known Ghirahim since you were pretty young?"

"Yes," she said.

I smirked a little. "Then there's one burning question I have for you: Has he always had the emo hair?"

Ghirahim glared at me, but to my pleasant surprise, Roseza laughed. "No, when he was much younger, he had shorter, messier hair. It almost looked like a wounded animal."

I laughed, smiling at her. She smiled back. So far so good.

After a moment, she decided to ask me some questions of her own.

"And this _Link, _he's your boyfriend, yes?" She asked.

I felt myself blush, but I decided to stick with the lie. "Yeah, he is."

"Is he cute?"

Ghirahim's face was priceless, and though he continued to stare straight forward, he seemed to be listening to what I had to say.

Staring directly at him, and grinning widely, I answered, "Oh, definitely. He's got _adorable _blond hair and breathtaking blue eyes_. _And he's _gorgeous. _He must be the most handsome boy in the world."

Ghirahim gave me one of those looks of his, as if to tell me I was overselling it. But what I'd said wasn't exactly ingenuine. I mean, I'd never exactly found him _unattractive. _I'd never want to get between him and Zelda, because to me, they were a perfect match, but even so... _Damn._

"Well he does sound handsome," Roseza purred. She then snuck a look at Ghirahim, tapping him with her hip, adding, "not unlike someone else I know."

Ghirahim beamed, and I just shook my head, still smiling.

By the time we'd reached the training hall, I felt as though Roseza was at least slightly comfortable with my presence.

Even still, as we stood there, I felt strongly compelled to leave. I wasn't sure what to do. In fact, what the hell were Ghirahim and Roseza even going to do? Why did they want to come here of all places?

I had my answer within a moment.

"Say Rahim..." Roseza picked up a training sword from a nearby rack. "How's your sparring these days?"

Ghirahim raised his brow, smirked, and summoned his rapier.

"Would you like to find out?"

Within moments their swords were clashing together in a flurry of swift, fluid movements. Roseza was good. Like, _really _good. She was swift, strong, and she wielded the sword as if it was a part of her.

Feeling as though I wasn't needed, I turned to leave. Suddenly, though, I heard a sort of _meow._

I looked down. "Tiger?"

The remlit purred in response, brushing against my ankle. I bent down, drawing my fingers through his fur.

Since being forcefully welcomed into the manor, Tiger seemed to roam about. Some days I'd see him a whole lot, and other days I wouldn't see him at all. It seemed he had a lot of little hiding places. In any case, I took great pleasure in his company. I suddenly felt less alone.

For a while, I spent some quality time with Tiger while our two demon companions sparred.

Eventually they broke off and drifted apart.

I came to Ghirahim's side. "So how's it going?"

He gave me a long look. "I have no idea how to act around her."

I thought for a moment. "Well, then I'll help. Something tells me she'd like it if you brought on the romance."

"And how exactly am I supposed to do that?"

"Don't worry," I said. "I've got that covered."

His eyes grew huge. "Sky Child," he growled. "I swear to the goddesses, if you do anything..."

I bopped over to Roseza. "So..." I gave her as natural a smile as I could muster. "How's life?"

She gave me a strange look. "Alright, I suppose. Why?"

"Oh, nothing, it's only..." I bit my lip. "How's Ghiri treating you?"

She shrugged. "He treats me well, like always." Then she frowned. "Only... I feel that in my absence, we have become strangers. I haven't an idea what to talk to him about. It's simply so strange, returning to the manor now. After all these years, we're still about the same age as when I left. It almost seems as if nothing has changed. And yet, so much has."

I nodded. "Just in the time that I've been here, so much has changed already. And I can't imagine..."

Roseza had been looking away, but then she met my eyes, somber and tired. "I heard what has happened to Ghirahim recently. All these rough times he's been through and I haven't been there for him. And now that I've showed up, it seems I'm coming between the two of you. After hearing what you've done for him, I'd never want to..."

I laughed. She stared at me in shock, and then I was laughing harder. "Wait, so you think Ghirahim and I...? No! Me and him... We're close, but not like _that. _He's known you for a majority of his life. I mean, I wouldn't put it past him to hold a grudge, but on you? Considering what he has planned, I _highly _doubt that's even a possibility."

She looked confused. "What he has planned?"

I slapped a hand over my mouth. "I shouldn't have said that. I _should not have said that._"

"What does he have planned?" Roseza insisted.

I shrugged, obviously feigning my ignorance. "Well, I guess you'll just have to wait and find out. But, lucky for you, that won't be for very long."

"But what is he going to..."

I gave her a Cheshire grin. "Let's just say that he's going to try to rekindle the old spark. He is _quite _the charmer, I hear."

"Why are you suddenly speaking in riddles?" Roseza demanded.

I shrugged. "I gotta go take care of something. Just let whatever happens, happen. _Ta ta_!"

I walked away, head held high. As I reached the door, Ghirahim peeled from the shadows.

"What. Did. You. _Do?" _He demanded.

"Chillax," I laughed. "This is gonna be great."

"_What is_?"

I took his arm and led him closer to the door. "Look, I'm about to leave and go get something. When I come back, I will be standing on _that _rafter." I pointed upwards. "As soon as you see me, wait until I give you the signal. Then, I just need you to do one thing."

Ghirahim sighed. "What?"

"Ask her to dance."

"What?" he repeated.

"Ask her to dance," I said again.

"But there's no music!"

"Just..." I took a deep breath. "You're gonna have to trust me on this one."

Ghirahim gave me a long look. "Fine."

"Excellent." I beamed. "Think you can keep her entertained until I get back?"

He didn't have a chance to answer, because I'd already warped away.

* * *

**Ghirahim's POV**

I approached Roseza cautiously, worried that she was expecting something.

"What did she say to you?"

She bit her lip. "I'm not particularly sure. I think she was trying not to ruin the...surprise."

"What surprise?" I asked.

"You tell me," she replied dryly.

"I apologize," I sighed. "She's usually not so cryptic."

She frowned. "So... You know her well, then?"

I shrugged. "Well yes, I'd say so. We've spent quite a bit of time together."

"I see," Roseza murmured "So does that mean..."

I didn't hear what she said next, because I was distracted by movement. That is, the movement of the Sky Child as she secured a large black block to the side of the rafter on which she was sitting.

A bit of blue emanated from her fingers, and all but the lights nearest to us went dim. _That's a new one, _I thought in surprise. She must have been practicing without me. I almost felt proud.

"What's going on?" Roseza exclaimed, looking worried.

I looked up to the girl. She smiled, nodding to Roseza, who was glancing around in confusion. I hesitated—was that the 'signal?'

As if to answer my question, the notes of some melodramatic song seemed to blare out of some unknown source, seeming to surround us.

I turned to Roseza.

"I..."

Roseza frowned. "Ghirahim? What's..."

I held out a hand. "May I have this dance?"

An enlightened smile overcame her confused look, and she nodded.

She took my hand, and I placed my hands on her hips, and she put hers on my shoulders. Slowly, we rocked back and forth.

"So this is what you've been planning," she realized.

I laughed sheepishly. "Yeah, I suppose it is."

She giggled. "Where is the music coming from?"

I shrugged, lost in her eyes. "From somewhere enchantingly new. Somewhere neither of us will ever truly understand."

She was satisfied by this answer, and after a moment, she leaned her head against my shoulder.

I felt a bit of reawakened warmth rise up within me. I looked up to the girl, and she gave me a thumbs up. I nodded to her, finding a smile on my face.

I wondered how she brought the music here. It must be some song from her world, but I had no clue of the source. Perhaps it was coming from that black box next to her on the rafter.

Whatever the song was, it filled me with warm wonder. I let the lyrics drift over me as I closed my eyes, and enjoyed the moment. When I looked back up, the Sky Child had disappeared into the shadows.

_I wanna know what love is_

_I want you to show me_

_I wanna feel what love is_

_I know you can show me_

* * *

**Marissa's POV**

As I watched the two demons dance, I wasn't sure exactly what I was feeling. It felt great, of course, to know that Ghirahim was happy, and that I had helped make that happen. I was so glad for him, that he'd finally found someone after all these years. But as I sat there, alone on the rafter, I felt like I was relapsing back into the old Marissa, rather than Ocean. Once again I was quiet and unseen. I watched over people from the shadows, blending in. It was where I belonged. Even still, though, I felt a new emotion building up in my chest. I wasn't sure exactly what it was, but it was strong. It almost ached. I didn't like it.

I saw him flash me a small smile, and he nodded to me. I knew that would likely be the most genuine 'thank-you' that I would ever get from him. I watched them for a while, laying my hand on the speaker that I'd brought from my house. It wasn't the most romantic thing in the world, but it'd done its job. As Roseza and Ghirahim slowly rocked, holding each other, I knew I'd done what I could. So I let myself disappear into the shadows, and then away.

* * *

Soon enough, I heard Roseza and Ghirahim carefully come up the stairs. They exchanged soft words outside his door. They were too quiet to make out from behind the door, even if I had tried to eavesdrop (it's not like I would _ever _do something like that).

I heard gentle footsteps head down the hallway. Then there was a knock on my door.

"Yeah?"

Ghirahim sauntered in, a sort of happily dizzy look in his eyes.

He crossed my room and sat on my bed, leaning against the headboard.

Fighting back a laugh, I raised my eyebrows at him. "Can I help you?"

"Hmm? Oh..." He shrugged, his voice oddly airy. "What... What was that lovely music?"

"Umm...Foreigner?"

"Ahh..." He blinked blissfully. "How delightful."

"So..." I sat beside him. "Did you guys get some quality time in?"

He chuckled. "I'd say so."

"Mission accomplished, then."

We were quiet for a while.

"I think she's the one," Ghirahim said suddenly.

My eyes widened. I couldn't decide how I felt about that. "You're calling it already?"

"I am."

I cleared my throat. Well besides that, how are you anyway, Ghir? You doing alright?"

"I suppose so. Why?"

I bit my lip. "How's your last wound doing?"

"It's just about healed," he replied.

"I should probably take a look. Should we head to the hospital wing?"

He shrugged. "Couldn't you do it here?"

"Whatever works," I sighed.

I peeled up the top half of his unitard, exposing only the fading mark of the stab wound.

"This is actually healing really well," I breathed, relieved. I put my finger on the skin beside the wound, checking for the burning heat that could warn an infection. There was nothing. No sign of infection. Even so, his skin was extremely warm, solely because he was a demon.

"Only because of you, My Remlit," he said sweetly.

I looked away. "Maybe you shouldn't..."

He looked confused. "Shouldn't what?"

I felt my cheeks burn. I met his eyes, still holding up the front of his outfit.

There was a knock at the door, and before we had time to react, the door opened gracefully.

Roseza stepped in. "Ocean I would like to—"

Ghirahim and I froze, staring at her in surprise. She did the same toward us.

"Am I interrupting?" She asked, her voice tight.

"No!" I jumped away from him. "I was just making sure his wound was healing. And it is."

"Ahh. Lovely." She raised an eyebrow at us. "I was just coming to thank you for helping with whatever happened back there. But perhaps Ghirahim is already doing it for me."

Ghirahim and I exchanged a look.

"Why don't I walk you to your room?" Ghirahim suggested.

"Alright," Roseza agreed, voice low.

As they walked out, I stayed frozen in the same position. I don't know exactly what Roseza thought she saw, but I knew it must not be good.

It seemed like an eternity before Ghirahim returned to my room. He closed the door slowly, and then he stared at a certain spot on my floor for a while.

"Well...?" I finally spoke up. "What did she say?"

Ghirahim drew a hand over his face. "She didn't say much of anything. She thanked me for the pleasant evening, and then she returned to her room."

"Oh..." I bit my lip. "Did she seem...mad?"

He shrugged, sitting back down. "I don't know."

"I'm sorry, Ghir," I sighed. "This is my fault. I should've waited for a better time to check your wound."

He waved away the apology. "What are we going to do about Malice, anyway?" He asked, changing the subject.

I stood up, shaking my head. "I don't know. I have no clue where he is or what he's doing, or really anything about him anymore. I guess we'll just have to see if he gives us any more problems. With any luck, though, maybe he assumes that you died in my arms. Hopefully he thinks his job is done."

"Perhaps he does," Ghirahim agreed.

I sat back down. "So what now?"

Ghirahim looked confused. "What do you mean?"

"What should I do about Roseza? I don't want to be a problem. I can move to the hospital wing permanently, if you'd like. Then she could have this room."

He shook his head. "Roseza isn't typically like this. I believe she simply needs time to adjust to the manor. I do not think that her anger was directed especially at you."

I glanced at the door. "Even so, maybe you should go back to your room, in case she gets suspicious."

Ghirahim shook his head. "I can't sleep."

I reached over to my bedside table and picked up _The Book Thief._

"Would a little reading help?"

"It may," he reasoned, leaning back against the headboard and closing his eyes.

"Alright." I opened to where we'd left off, and I began to read aloud.

It felt strange to read to him. But maybe not in a bad way. In class, whenever I'd get called on to read, or really whenever I had to read out loud, I would always rush and stutter, wanting to get it over with. But something about reading this specific book to this specific person was soothing somehow. I read slowly, smoothly.

It was familiar, somehow. After all, my parents always read the Bible to each other before bed. I would always fall asleep to their voices through the wall.

I guess reading had the same effect on Ghirahim. Within just a few pages, his head was drooping, and he was struggling to stay upright. Eventually his head slumped onto my shoulder, and he was asleep.

I sighed, closing the book.

Despite the fact that he'd never tried anything when we shared a bed, I didn't think it was as harmless as it used to be. It'd never been anything besides the two of us wanting to keep each other company, or me wanting to keep an eye on him, but now I knew that it would only raise suspicion. So I left my room.

When I got out into the hall, I tried the handle on Ghirahim's room. Maybe I'd sleep there. We'd just trade rooms for a night.

"Ocean?"

I whipped around. "Platnox?"

The other demon came striding towards me, but he seemed to be stepping carefully.

"What are you still doing up?" He asked, staring at me in confusion.

"I could ask you the same thing."

"Fair enough," he sighed. "Couldn't sleep."

"So you just decided to wander about the manor?"

He shrugged. "I was actually hoping that I could talk to you about something. Something important."

"I'm listening."

He glanced around.

_Not here, _he mouthed.

I nodded. "Well, anyway, the reason I'm still up is that your brother fell asleep in my bed."

His eyebrows shot up. "Wow... I think it's quite rude to just fall asleep right after..."

I rolled my eyes. "Don't be a pervert, Plat. I'm starting to like you."

"Haven't you always?"

"Touche," I admitted. "So, pal, can you move your brother from my room, perchance?"

"_Adopted brother,_" he corrected me, "And of course I can."

I followed him into my room, and then followed him back out as he carried his brother across the hall.

"Sleeping like a baby," Platnox chuckled.

I rolled my eyes, fighting back a laugh.

Platnox laid Ghirahim back on his own bed, still sound asleep.

"So," I sighed. "What do you need to talk to me about?"

He nodded to my door. "If he wakes up, I don't want him to hear."

"Alright."

I led the way to my room, reaching for my door.

"Okay," Platnox began. "So you know how you were asking me about Roseza earlier?"

I blinked. "Yeah?"

He glanced around. "I think I need to tell you something about her."

"Yes?"

Suddenly, a door down the hallway clicked open.

We stiffened, and I tried to make it into my room, but I was too slow.

"Platnox?"

He whipped around. "Roseza! Heyyyyy"

She took confident steps up to us.

"Oh, and Ocean, you're here too."

I nodded.

Platnox looked around, giving me an apologetic look. "I was just leaving."

"You were?" I asked, elbowing him.

"Yep."

I swore at him under my breath as he nearly jogged away.

"Hey, Roseza." I looked at my feet.

"Hello," she said sweetly.

I bit my lip. "About what happened..."

Roseza shook her head. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have overreacted so harshly."

"You didn't overreact. That was a weird situation."

She shrugged. "Anywho, I trust he's healing alright?"

I nodded. "He's doing really well. No infection or anything. It's a miracle, really."

She nodded. "That's pleasant news."

I hesitated. "I...don't have to live up here, you know. I could move to the hospital wing. And you could always be there when I need to check his wounds. And..."

She smiled weakly. "It's fine. You have a nice night now."

I nodded. "Back at you."

We each returned to our respective rooms, but I was getting worried. Despite what she'd said, that it was fine, something told me that it really wasn't.

* * *

**Well that's all for now.**

**I'd really appreciate a few reviews so I can gauge how many people are still interested in this story. Also... any questions? Please review/fav/follow!  
**

**I guess I'll be seeing you, then.**

**~Catwhiskers24~**


	72. Chptr 2-10: Red and Yellow Kill a Fellow

**Greetings and Good Evening everyone! How are you all doing?**

**I've once again scrapped together enough time to post another chapter!**

**I see that a lot of you are curious and making predictions about Roseza and her background. So happy to see so many of you are still interested! Besides questions about Roseza's backstory, I saw that I received a question, which I will try my best to answer.**

**RoWolf: So glad you left a review! Don't worry, I completely understand. I used to be so shy as well! I never expected I'd be doing something like this! Anyway, I see that you asked about my friend. The thing is, he and I don't talk anymore, and I've come to understand that it's better this way. Our lives were taking us down two entirely different paths, and the only thing I can do now is wish him well in all his endeavors. I don't know if they're still together, but either way, I wish them a happy future. And yes, you will get some background on Roseza soon. Thanks! :)**

**That should be all for now. I mean, _besides _the actual chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own LOZ**

* * *

**Marissa's POV**

I woke up the next morning to a determined knock on my door.

"Hrmm?"

My door swung open, and a confident looking Platnox strolled in.

"Rise and shine, princess. We've got work to do!"

"What?" I rubbed my eyes blearily. "I just wanted to sleep for once. What's so important?"

"That thing I wanted to tell you. Ghirahim and Roseza are out for the day. We've got time to talk."

"Oh." I blinked. "They left the manor?"

"Yeah. They headed for Faron Woods this morning. Why?"

I shrugged, sliding out of bed. "It's nothing. So, what do you have to talk to me about?"

The demon smirked. "Follow me."

* * *

We followed a plethora of long, winding hallways as we traveled across the manor. As we did so, it suddenly occurred to me how little of the manor I'd actually been to. I was glad Platnox knew where he was going, because if I were on my own, I'd be lost in a heartbeat.

"Where are we going?" I asked finally, realizing that I had no clue where we were.

"The basement. I have to show you something."

I frowned. "We have a basement? I thought we just had the dungeon."

Platnox shook his head. "This is even lower than the dungeon."

Surprised into silence, I followed him quietly.

I'd always found it almost amusing, if not flat out intimidating, how much shorter I was than any given demon. The top of my head scarcely came close to Ghirahim's shoulder, and that was when I was wearing my boots, which might give me another inch. He must have been around 6' 5'', and I think Platnox was even taller. At least an inch. Maybe more.

Besides their insane height, there was another similarity the two shared. It was, however, different than the other demons. Every other demon I'd met had skin, hair, or eyes that almost seemed to emanate the color of their magic. For instance, Malice's magic was orange, and so were his eyes (Looking back on it, the color was a bit startling to get used to). I pinned Ghirahim's lack of color on his alleged albinism. Platnox, on the other hand, gave off no specific color. His hair was brown, his eyes gray, and his skin was a slightly lighter color than mine. He could probably have passed off as a human, were it not for his pointed ears.

"We're here," Platnox announced, stopping in front of an old, dusty door. "Ready to go down?"

"Ermm..." I bit my lip. "Sure I am."

"Great. You go first."

I rolled my eyes at him, opening the door with a trembling hand. I'd always hated going into dark basements, and this one was no exception. A long hall lead down at an incline, fading into black. Platnox took a torch from the wall and lit it with a bit of magic. "Well... Shall we?"

I took that as my cue to step down the cramped corridor. The door slammed shut, I flinched, and then we started forward.

Platnox's torch provided enough light to, say, prevent us from running into a wall. But beyond that, we had nothing but the darkness to accompany us.

I shivered involuntarily. I had a feeling I would never think of this manor the same way, knowing that this tunnel was below our feet.

Eventually we came to a large room that seemed to be falling apart at the seams. The walls were mostly rotten wood, and it almost seemed like the only thing holding up the manor was the cracking wooden supports loosely attached to the ceiling. Various wooden chests were scattered about the room, pushed against the wall among cracked vases and broken furniture.

"I don't like this," I muttered. "I really, really don't like this."

"What?" The light illuminated a smirk on Platnox's face. "You afraid of the dark?"

I shook my head. "No, I'm more concerned by what may be crawling around in it."

"Ah. That's right. Spiders. Ghirahim told me you have something against them."

I shrugged. "What can I say? They're disturbing."

Platnox raised an eyebrow. "You realize there are probably hundreds of spiders crawling around this manor at any moment? Especially down here."

I felt sick. "Is that right?"

In response, Platnox smacked the wall, and a dozen spiders rained from the ceiling. I let out a string of profanities, frantically trying to dust off the spiders that I was sure were now crawling all over me.

Platnox practically cackled, and I elbowed him hard in the ribs.

"Ow," he whined, rubbing his side.

"Focus," I said, changing the subject. "What did you bring me down here to see?"

He nodded forward. "Follow me and you'll find out."

I sighed. "Fine, but no more funny business, alright? If I see so much as a cobweb, I'm outta here."

Platnox gave me one of his traditional half-smiles. "Deal."

As we moved forward, I definitely saw a cobweb. I saw _many _cobwebs, for that matter. I clenched my teeth and my fists, trying to ignore them, lest I see movement out of the corner of my eye.

Platnox moved a little closer, and his free hand gripped my shoulder. Whether he was comforting me or himself, I'd never know.

"Well," he said finally, "here it is."

The demon stopped in front of an old wardrobe. The wood on the sides was discolored and seemed to be rotting away. The handle on the right side seemed to have been brushed across with rust.

"What is it?"

Platnox seized the other handle. "The same as everything else down here—something Ghirahim wants to forget."

I bit my lip. "Are you sure I'm supposed to be seeing this? It sounds pretty private."

"It is," Platnox confirmed. "So of course you're going to look inside."

Nearly trembling, I peered over his shoulder as he swung the door open.

It seemed to take a tad more effort than he expected, because it took a moment of groaning hinges for him to swing the door outwards.

What I saw inside was the last thing I expected to see. The wardrobe was filled to the brim with a young woman's clothing. Folded, hung, and piled on the bottom, outfits were littered throughout its small interior.

"I don't understand." I looked at Platnox. "Did Ghirahim have some sort of phase or...?"

He snorted. "I suppose you could put it that way. These are Roseza's"

"From back when she lived here?"

He nodded. "When she disappeared, Ghirahim refused to accept it. He forced the servants to leave her room untouched for weeks. Then, once Demise forced it through his head that she was gone, he nearly went ballistic. He personally shoved all of her possessions down here. Out of sight, out of mind, I suppose."

I grabbed hold of one of the outfits and pulled it towards me. Covered in lace and intricate patterns, I was shocked by how expensive it surely was.

"How did she have all of this? Was she Demise's favorite or something?"

Platnox laughed bitterly. "She was everyone's favorite. And I suppose Demise did present a few of these to her, but most of them were from her father—a rather rich, powerful noble of the manor. She was spoiled, but she never acted like it."

I thought about this for a second. "Why did you bring me here, Plat?"

He shrugged. "You know, when I first looked at her when she showed up a few days ago, I thought to myself, '_she looks exactly like she did the day she disappeared_'. And then I realized—that's because she literally looked _exactly the same_. She was in the exact same outfit, and she _hadn't aged a day._"

I frowned. "What are you saying?"

"Well, before Demise disappeared, he cast a spell on everyone in his manor that would stop them from aging. I suppose he wanted his most loyal servants to be the ones to welcome him back. Anyhow, this happened _after _Roseza disappeared. So... how is she still alive? And how is she so young?"

I shrugged. "Maybe Demise did it to her at the same time? Do you think its possible that he knew where she was and somehow, I don't know, cast a long distance spell?"

"I really doubt it," Platnox muttered. "Though perhaps it's possible. In any case, that's not all. Don't you think its a little odd that she would show up in the exact outfit she disappeared in? The only reason I remember this is because her father had passed away pretty recently before she left. That dress was his last gift to her. I remember her getting emotional about it. Don't you think this is all a little strange, though?"

I hesitated. "So wait, are you suggesting that her only outfit is that red dress?"

"I'm saying its possible. Maybe its not her _only _nice outfit, but knowing Roseza, I would expect that she would have debuted some new dress for her return."

"Well maybe she purposely wore the same outfit," I suggested. "Maybe its her way of showing that she wants things to go back to being the same way they were when she left. That kind of thing happens all the time in literature."

"Maybe," Platnox mused. "But while Roseza is one of the sharpest demons I know, her aptitude was never particularly in the arts. Though, perhaps if she wanted to reawaken Ghirahim's old feelings towards her..."

"Alright," I rubbed my chin. "And what if it _is_ your theory? Are you saying she's done so poorly since she's left that she only really has the one outfit? That she's some sort of gold digger? I mean, its possible, but wouldn't you think it would be in pieces by now?"  
"Maybe," Platnox agreed, "though she could have restored it with magic."

"I suppose..." I sighed. "Well what now, then?"

"I don't know," Platnox admitted. "I just... I wanted someone else to know. And since Ghirahim trusts you, I thought I could trust you too. After all, I think besides Roseza, you're closer to him than anyone here. And... I know he may be a pain in the ass sometimes, but I don't want her to hurt him again."

I smiled weakly. "That's sweet, Plat."

He shrugged. "Don't tell him I said that, alright? In fact, don't tell anyone I told you any of this. Promise?"

I drew a cross over my heart, and he nodded.

"What else is down here?" I asked him.

"Oh..." he looked down at the ground. "Broken things. Now, shall we?"

"Leave?" I grinned weakly. "I was wondering when you would finally say that."

Platnox smirked, and he led the way back down that long, dark corridor.

After we'd finally emerged back into the light, Platnox and I turned to face each other.

"So..." I bit my lip. "I should probably be getting back down to the hospital wing. Wouldn't want to leave anyone waiting too long. That is... If there even is anyone waiting."

He nodded. "And I should be getting back to work. This was fun, though."

"Yeah, it was," I agreed. "In a weird, bizarre way. See you!"

I turned to leave, hoping that I could manage to find my way back to the main part of the manor.

"Wait." Platnox hung back. "What do you say we work together to figure out what Roseza's up to?"

I hesitated. "No one can know. Not even Ghirahim."

He nodded. "_Especially _not Ghirahim."

"And we can't confront her about anything without agreeing on it first. Deal?"

He thrust out a confident hand. "Deal."

We shook on it, and that was that.

* * *

I was barely halfway to the infirmary when something resurfaced in my mind. I was soon speeding towards my room, collecting my possessions, and realizing that Link was bound to be back from Skyloft. I told him I'd help him move along with his journey, so it seemed that I was going to have to look for him.

I stuffed every useful possession into my bag, and then I was on my way.

"Ocean!"

I whipped around. Platnox was running towards me.

I gave him a sly look. "Miss me already, did you?"

He laughed. "Something like that. Where are you going?"

I gestured outside. "Faron Woods. I've got to help my friend."

He raised an eyebrow. "Think Roseza's that dangerous do you? I think Ghirahim's fine."

"No, not him." I readjusted my bag. "Link. My other friend."

"Oh," Platnox blinked. "Why is it so important that you find him?"

"I need to help him save our friend Zelda," I answered, my legs itching to run out the door.

"Alright. Then I'm coming."

"What?" I was shocked. "Why?"

He grinned. "I'm going to help you help him help her."

"You just wanted a chance to say that, didn't you?"

"That may be a large part of it, yes," Platnox admitted. "So what are we waiting for? Let's go!"

* * *

After he teleported me to Faron Woods, Platnox followed me to the Sealed Grounds. However, as we approached, his footsteps faltered.

My heart clenched. "Plat? Are you alright?"

A clouded look entered his eyes for a second. Then he shook his head. "I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?"

I let out a breath of relief and grabbed onto his wrist. I was holding on so tight that I could feel his pulse. It seemed strangely fast. He lifted an eyebrow.

"Bad things have happened here," I muttered.

"Should I be concerned that you led me here, then?" Platnox chuckled nervously.

"I sure hope not," I mumbled, half to myself.

There were no more strange occurrences as we entered the temple. To my great delight, Link was not at all hard to find. In fact, he happened to be talking to Old Impa as we stepped inside.

The swordsman looked up as we walked in. "Hey!"

"Link!" I ran towards him. "How's Skyloft?"

"It's alright," he answered. "People are asking about you though. But I've told them that you're safe."

"Thanks, Link." I smiled at him. "And how are you? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," he promised. "And you?"

"Fine."

"Well this is quite the heart-warming reunion," Platnox stated dryly, catching up to me slowly.

Link frowned. "Who's this?"

"Link, this is Platnox," I gestured to the demon. "He's Ghirahim's brother."

"_Adopted brother_," he corrected me. He looked at Link a little closer. "Hang on..." he frowned. "You look familiar. You were that guy they brought to the manor. The taste tester?"

"I guess I am," Link said dryly.

"Alright, so what's next?" I interjected. "Link, don't you have to defeat some sort of trial?"

"Yes, actually." He drew his sword. Platnox's eyes grew huge, and he took a step back.

"Fi is going to help me find it. Isn't that right, Fi?"

The sword spirit flipped out of her sword. "Correct, Master Link." She, quite literally, scanned Platnox. "Master, my scan indicates that this creature is a member of the demonic race. However, I detect only a 67% chance that he is a threat."

Platnox's eyes narrowed. "_Only?"_

Fi stared back at him calmly. "Perhaps a 68% chance."

I stepped forward, and Fi returned to her sword form. "Link, I happen to know where your trial might be. Give me your hand."

"Alright." He grabbed my hand. "Though I'm still getting used to this whole magic thing."

I smiled, grabbing Platnox's hand as well. "So am I"

* * *

"How long is this going to take?" Platnox asked.

I stared at Link's unmoving figure. "I don't know. I'm usually on the other end of this."

"Hold on," Platnox turned to face me. "_What_?"

"What?" I blinked. _Oops. He doesn't know, you idiot._

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing."

Platnox took a deep breath, putting his hands on his hips. "You know, Ocean, if we're going to have some sort of partnership, we need to trust each other."

"I know." I was stricken by how similar Platnox and Ghirahim thought. "And it's complicated. If I told you, you'd never believe me."

"Whatever..." Platnox stared at the ground. He bent down slowly, picking something up. Slowly, he placed a yellow flower in Link's hair, and then a very green leaf, and then another flower. He continued to do this around Link's head, forming a sort of crown. I was trying hard to control my laughter.

"_Stooop,_" I whined, feeling bad for the swordsman.

"Now he's pretty," Platnox smirked.

I smacked his arm. "Come on, do you wanna walk around or something?"

He shrugged. "Beats staring at Shorty over here."

We strolled out of the clearing, following a nearby trail.

"Do you come here often?" I asked.

He shook his head. "Not really. This is the first time in a while. A long, long while."

I nodded. "I like it here. It's peaceful."

Platnox thought for a moment. "What's your favorite color?"

"What?" I stared at him. "Why do you ask that?"

"Because there's nothing else to do. And all I really know about you is that you're sassy... but kind. And very protective."

"Thanks," I smiled. "Blue. That's my favorite color. A greenish blue.

"I should've seen that one coming," he admitted.

"And you?"

He hesitated. "Red, I think. Either a deep red, or a reddish orange."

"Interesting..." I was suddenly curious about something. "What color is your magic?"

"Red. Like Ghirahim's."

"Oh."

We walked in silence. I was about to ask him a question of my own when we passed two familiar faces.

"Ghirahim? Roseza?" The two turned to face us.

"Ocean, Platnox." Ghirahim nodded to us. "What are you two doing here?"

"We're helping Link. You know, the thing you told me you'd help me with?"

"Yes, well..." Ghirahim looked away.

"We were taking a walk," Roseza put in for him.

"I see that," Platnox said dryly.

"Did you go by the Sealed Grounds?" I asked.

Ghirahim nodded.

"Did... Anything happen?" I asked.

He shook his head.

"Was something _supposed_ to happen?" Roseza asked.

I shrugged. "I don't know."

There was a quiet then, that Platnox couldn't help but break. "These are some pretty flowers, aren't they?" He asked us, gesturing to a patch of the yellow flowers.

"Yes—Yes, they are lovely," Roseza agreed with a sigh.

Ghirahim bent down, picked one, and presented it to Roseza. "So are you," he told her quietly.

Her cheeks flushed, and I couldn't help admire the two of them. Calmly pleased, the she demon placed the flower in her hair. Her beauty seemed to be increasing by the second. If the two weren't officially courting, I had a nearly sinking feeling that they would be soon. It almost hurt, though. Seeing what they had. I hadn't an idea why.

"We should be going," Platnox said abruptly. "Swordsmen to help, damsels to save. You understand, I'm sure?"

Ghirahim nodded. "We shall be going as well. Our plan was to make it to all three realms today."

Without another word, they began to set down the path. I didn't realize I was doing it at first, but it turned out that I was staring straight down, directly at the patch of yellow flowers. I didn't want to watch them leave.

"Hey, you know...?" Platnox trailed off. He bent down and picked one last yellow flower. This one had silver speckles on it, and it seemed to be smaller—but brighter than the others. Maybe it was younger. He placed the flower in my hair. I felt my cheeks burn.

"There," he beamed. "I say it looks better on you."

I smiled at his kindness, and then I followed him back to where Link was waiting.

* * *

**That's all I've got for now!**

**And hey, let me know what you think! Please make sure to leave a review, if so compelled, because they're so motivating. And also, please Fav/Follow!**

**One last thing- So I've received some amazing fan art from some of you talented artists out there (they were so awesome!) and because so many of you seem to have an aptitude for art, I was wondering, should you ever get bored, if you would like to draw your best interpretation of Platnox, Malice, or one of the other main characters! I'm just curious how you guys think they look. Anyhow, I wish a good end of summer to all of you!**

**~Catwhiskers24~**


	73. Chapter 2-11: It's Just A Scratch

**Long time no see, huh?**

**Well, what can I say? Life got me good. I've more stressed than I've ever been, I've picked up a new job, and I have more homework than ever. My grades are suffering, and I get no sleep. Not to mention I've been trying to talk one of my friends down. It's been too close for comfort too many times. But it's brought tears to my eyes, seeing you guys still supporting me, offering me your time and compassion. It's amazing how much you guys care. I haven't given up on you guys, but remember I have a lot of priorities. This story means the world to me, but so do my friends and future. But giving myself no time for writing isn't fair to me, nor is it fair to you. I'm tired of excuses. So here's this.**

**Yes, Leal's name is intentional. So glad some of you have noticed haha.**

**FredPotter02-yes, I do have experience in that area. Not fun.**

**I've loved all the fanart and predictions. You guys are amazing! I'm so sorry I'm not there for you more. But I'll never quit on this story. Just please... have patience.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own LOZ**

* * *

**Marissa's POV**

As Plat and I continued down the path, the part of my scalp touching the yellow flower seemed to be tingling.

"Hey Plat?"

He turned his head towards me. "Yeah?"

"Thanks."

He chuckled somberly. "Of course. I can't imagine how it must feel for you—seeing them together and all that."

I shook my head, aghast. "I..." I was lost for words. "I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about."

He chuckled again. "Come on, Ocean. All that time you guys spent together, and you mean to tell me that _nothing happened?_"

"Well, I mean," I shuffled my feet. "I'm a human. He's a demon lord. Even if we did have some sort of bizarre chemistry, he'd never want to be with a Skyloftian like me, so I guess it doesn't really matter."

Platnox sighed. "He cares about you. You know that, right?"

I shrugged.

"So," Platnox smiled a little. "if, theoretically, he wanted to be with you, would you feel the same?"

I didn't answer. Neither of us spoke for a few seconds, and then Platnox decided to break the silence.

"If you were to ask me, I'd say you'd be a step up from Roseza, but that's just my opinion. So, naturally, it doesn't matter."

"I don't know if that's true," I said. "I'm sure he listens to you sometimes."

Plat shook his head. "Rarely, if ever."

"Oh," I looked down. "I'm sorry."

We didn't speak for another long while, and this time we both were more comfortable with the silence.

I took a deep breath of the fresh air. I wondered where Ghirahim and Roseza were. I wondered if they were safe. What would happen if Ghirahim had one of his fainting episodes? What if he was attacked? How could I be there to help him?

I tried to enjoy Platnox's company, but I simply couldn't. I tried to focus on the sounds of the forest, or delight in the line of yellow roses growing along the path, but I couldn't help feeling sick as I thought of all of the things that could be happening to Ghirahim. If anything bad happened to him...

_No. _I told myself sternly. _You're not here for him. You're here for Link_.

"Do you want to help me?" I blurted out.

Platnox blinked in surprise. "Is that not why I'm here?"

"Fair enough," I agreed. "I think there's a way that we can get Link a little farther on his journey."

He narrowed his eyes. "What exactly will that entail?"

"Not much." I hesitated. "Well, a little fighting, but nothing you can't handle. Do you trust me?"

"Should I?"

I took his hand and teleported us away.

* * *

"Where are we?"

"Shh..." I glanced around. "They'll appear any second."

"What?"

"Our enemies." I nodded to the door. "Link will need some Sacred Water if he wants to get to the next temple, so I figured we could get it for him. I wasn't able to teleport directly to the Sacred Spring, so I suppose we'll have to fight off whatever it is that's keeping that door sealed shut."

"So we're in Skyview Temple. Brilliant..." Platnox nodded. "And where exactly are they?"

I glanced around. "Well...I was expecting them to meet us here, but maybe they don't know we've arrived."

"Maybe," my companion agreed. "But I thought you avoided fighting at all costs?"

"In a sense, yeah. But if I remember right, the beings we'll fight in here aren't exactly alive. Anymore, at least."

"Ah, so they're stalfos!"

"Yeah, they should be." I stepped forward. "Maybe they're waiting for us to get closer."

"Hang on..." Platnox turned to face me. "How do you know this? What did you mean, 'expect'? Have you—"

Before he could finish his question, three skeletal soldiers burst out of the ground. I already had my borrowed sword drawn, so I was able to defend myself from their first blow, countering the slash of my closest enemy. Platnox, however, was not so lucky. Out of the corner of my eye, I glimpsed a flash of red as the stalfos that had emerged in front of him slashed him across the side of his neck.

I gasped, and my moment of lost concentration earned me my own wound across my arm. I felt dizzy with pain, but I knew I had to fend for myself. One of the two that had been attacking me decided to go for my wounded friend, hoping to finish him, I suppose. I realized I would have to try to defeat this one fairly quickly, as I'd likely have to aid Plat in finishing off the other two.

I swung between the skeleton's swords, cracking one of its ribs, but its reflexes were quick. It trapped my blade between its own rusted sabers and flung me to the ground. I landed on my wounded shoulder and let out a cry of pain. My weapon clattered to the ground beside me. For a moment, I lay winded. Then I focused on the ring of my fallen sword, still clanging in the air. More adrenaline coursed through me, and the dizzying pain was replaced by desperate determination. I lept to my feet, sword in hand, and plowed my weapon between the skeleton's blades, and straight throw its spine. The undead being glared at me for a long while, through luminescent, staring orbs. Then the weight of its upper body overtook it, and its spine snapped in two. The creature disappeared into smoke on the ground, leaving its weapons to clatter to the ground.

"I thought you'd never finish."

I whipped around. "Plat?"

He gave me a face that was a mix of a smirk and a wince. Four rusted blades laid at his feet. He was pressing a handkerchief to his neck, but it was soaked with blood.

"Are you alright?" I asked.

"It's just a scratch," he said dismissively. "And yourself?"

"Just a scratch," I mimicked.

"Fair enough," he chuckled. "I must admit, for a girl who fights little to none, that was not too bad. Especially for your first Stalfos."

"Who says it was my first?"

He laughed again, shrugging. "Alright, you may have a point there."

I moved closer to him, moving the handkerchief. "That's pretty deep for a scratch."

He winced. "It's just a flesh wound."

"Flesh wound...that's rich," I laid my hand across the cut. I felt a flicker of surprise as I realized that, were it not for the warm blood oozing out of the cut, his skin wouldn't be much warmer than my own.

He shot back, moving away from my hands. "What are you doing?"

"Healing you."

He bit his lip. "I know you're the new healer and all, but this 'aggressively grab the wound technique' seems fairly unorthodox."

"Maybe," I shrugged. "You'll just have to trust me."

He hesitated. "You know most of us demons have trust issues, right?"

"Yeah, Princess, I've noticed."

He arched an eyebrow. "Well, we've made it this far. Do your worst."

I put my hand back over his torn flesh, still sticky with blood, and his wound sealed in mere seconds, leaving behind a thin, pale scar.

"Amazing," he breathed, shocked. "How..."

I shrugged. "No idea. I kinda just figured it out."

"I'll admit—I'm impressed," he chuckled. "Now you."

I shook my head. "I think if I do that again, I'm going to pass out."

"I'd carry you home."

"That's sweet." I turned away, walking through the opened door.

Platnox followed me as I found the correct waterfall. I gingerly moved my wound below the water. Instead of stinging like I expected, my skin seemed to warm up all of a sudden, and then cool down. A fairy wreathed around me, and then my injury was healed. Not a mark remained. I gave Platnox a toothy grin, filling a bottle with the water.

"Brilliant," Platnox beamed. "Now... can we get out of here?"

* * *

"Alright..." Link inspected the bottle. "Where do you need me to take this again?"

"You're going to meet someone who will need it," I said slowly, rephrasing the point for the third time.

"And this person... he's important, then?"

"_She _is, yes." I nodded. "You can't get to the temple without her. She's not really a person, though."  
Fi flipped out of her sword. "Master Link, if I am understanding properly what this girl is ambiguously stating, the being who needs your assistance is the Water Dragon. If that is so, we must make great haste to aid her."

"Alright Fi, we will," Link sighed. He turned to me. "And how do you know this, again?"

"We've established this," Plat said impatiently. "She just does."

I just nodded. "He's not wrong."

"Fine," Link looked down at the ground. "Just one more question... Who did this?" He pointed to a few thorns that were still snagged in his messy blond hair.

I bit my lip. "Uh... No one?"

"Birds?" Plat supplied, shrugging. "Gotta nest somewhere, yeah?"

"Uh... yeah..." Link returned his hat to his head. We stood on the platform that towered above Lake Floria. I was luckily able to remember how to open the door, so getting here from the trial had been mere clockwork.

"Shall we?" I perched at the edge beside Link.

"You're coming too?"

I glanced at the ground. "Why not? It's not like I have anything keeping me here. And I like water. There's a reason I'm named 'Ocean'."

"Right, well..." Link trailed off.

"Wait..." Platnox spoke up.

I turned to face him. "What?"

He didn't meet my eyes. "Maybe you should sit this one out."

"What?" My eyes widened. "Why?"

"You don't have one of those fancy dragon scales Link just got. You'd never be able to keep up."

I hesitated, but I knew he had a point. "You're right, Plat. I'll stay." I turned towards Link.

"Take care of yourself, Greenies. Don't drown."

"I'll be okay," he assured me. "Stay safe."

He took a deep breath, and then he leaped off of the outcrop. Platnox and I watched as he careened into the water below.

"Shall we?" Platnox held out his hand.  
I blinked. "Return home? I guess we might as well."

I glanced once more at the water below, watching the waves subside and the surface grow still. Then I took Plat's hand, and Link was on his own.

* * *

Ghirahim and Roseza were not home for dinner, so after eating, Platnox and I spent the remainder of the evening in my library, talking leisurely. After growing tired, we said our goodnights. Platnox took my hand. "It was an absolute pleasure spending my day with you," he told me, adding, "however, I'm exhausted, so I must bid you goodnight."

Before I could react, he placed a kiss on my hand. I jerked back, staring at him in shock.

He chuckled. "My apologies."

"Why would you..?" I stared at him.

"What?" he raised an eyebrow. "It's customary."

He was out of the room before I could respond.

Trying to push the odd exchange from my mind, I decided to return to the infirmary to put away a few herbs that I'd picked up. The moment the door clicked shut, I let out a huge sigh of relief. As I sorted my new supplies, I reflected on the events of the past few hours. When Platnox woke me up this morning, I never would have expected that he'd want to spend the entire day with me. Why the sudden interest? After all, we'd always talked during meals, along with some small exchanges in the halls, but he'd never put aside time to spend with me.

I guess maybe his initial plan was simply to show me Roseza's clothes in the basement and to tell me what he knew, but maybe he felt obligated to protect me when I'd said I was going to Faron. After all, before now, I'd always have ended up walking with Ghirahim or Herb, so maybe he was worried about a human like myself going off on my own.

I mean that would be kind, but it still wouldn't explain why exactly he'd want to put flowers in my hair in front of Ghirahim. Was he trying to guilt him somehow? Was he trying to cheer me up? Did I look that sad?

And why did Roseza seem to have something to do with all of it? It was as if...

My thoughts broke off suddenly at the sound of banging on the door.

"Uh... Come in?"

The door flung open, and Roseza stormed through, looking flustered. I felt a sinking sense of dread.

I glanced around. "Hey Roseza, can I—"

"Ghirahim needs your help."

My head snapped around to face her. I stumbled forward. "What? Where is he? Is he okay?"

"Yes, yes... Well..." She trailed off as two bokoblins stumbled in, carrying Ghirahim in between him. He was writhing about like he was having another seizure, but what worried me more was the dried blood on his clothes.

"Oh my God!" I rushed forward to aid the bokoblins as they hoisted him onto a bed.

I wasted no time in cutting the already ruined material just above the belt, struggling against his thrashing limbs to lift his new 'shirt' past his chest. A mix of sand and dried blood covered up what looked like a long series of sandy scrapes and abrasions across and below his sternum. He had one larger, deeper cut on the side of his head.

"Ghirahim!" I yelled, placing my hand on his shoulder. "Ghirahim! It's just a dream—it's not real."

His shaking did not falter in the slightest.

"What happened?" I demanded, whipping around to face Roseza.

"We were in Lanayru, and we were walking along a tall hill in the middle of the desert, and then he just started trembling. He rolled down the hill—which was really rocky, mind you—and when I reached him at the bottom, he was thrashing around and yelling."

I felt sick. His visions weren't out of the ordinary, but having them in Lanayru typically was. And they always seemed to end as quickly as they started. But his psychological torturing showed no sign of stopping.

"Tell me what's wrong with him!" She demanded. "Help him!"

"I will, I will," I assured her. "I need to get him to stop shaking. I think it's best for you and his lovely guards to step out. You guys have done wonderfully for him, but I need to start eliminating variables. His...episodes don't usually last this long."

"You expect me to just _leave?_ To let you have your way with him? I don't even know you!"

"He does, though," I said, keeping my voice level. "He trusts me. So yes."

She stomped her foot. "You can't keep me in the dark! This is what you asked him about earlier, isn't it? I have a right to know!"

"Yes, it is." I said. "And now you are going to have to give me your trust if you want him to get through this."

The normally cool and composed Roseza glared at me. Then she turned on her heel and stormed out of the infirmary, the bokoblins close behind.

As soon as the door had closed, I lowered the shade in front of the small window on the door. Then I rushed back to Ghirahim's side. I crouched at his bedside, putting my hand over his heart.

"It's okay, Ghir. I'm right here. It's not real. Come back to me, alright? I need you right now."

His trembling started to die down, and I pulled his shoulders into my arms, his head leaning against my neck. He took in long trembling breaths, and then he grew still. I stood up, pulled his shirt back down, and moved away from him. I thought it was a bad idea to touch him any more than I had to, as for all I knew Roseza could burst in any moment. I wanted to though. I wanted to hug him, to hold him, to tell him everything would be okay, that he was safe with me. But I couldn't. Not anymore.

* * *

**Ghirahim's POV**

"You know, I'm starting to think you don't want your blood anymore."

I looked up groggily, meeting the dull blue gaze of Ocean as she sat on a cot across from mine, something that was like a mix of a smile and a grimace on her face. She was wringing her hands nervously. She got up and stepped forward, picking up a rag and a bowl of water, setting them on my nightstand. I winced as she cleaned the dried blood from my face and temple. "If you're so keen on getting rid of it," she went on, "there are actually plenty of places where you can donate it in my world. To people who, you know, actually want to keep the bulk of it in their bodies."  
"Ha, ha, ha," I smirked a little, albeit slightly embarrassed. "If you think this is bad, you should take a look at my chest."

She raised her eyebrows wearily. "Do I really want to?"

I shrugged. "Seeing as you're the healer, I'd imagine it would be wise."

She smiled faintly, though it wasn't as wide as usual. She carefully began to peel the torn fabric up over my chest.

"You're almost as sarcastic as Herb these days," I remarked.

She sighed. "It comes with the job, I suppose."

She cleaned the dried blood and soot off of my chest, making me wince. Her eyes grew huge as she revealed the large scrapes crossing my chest and belly.

"There are some on my back and legs, too," I told her.

"I'm...uh...gonna go get some antiseptic. You should drink some water." She nodded to a small metal pitcher on the bedside table, a glass cup beside it.

"I see you've been busy around here," I said dryly, trying not to cringe as I poured myself a drink.

"Oh yeah," she laughed, digging through a cabinet across the room. "Seeing as I'm now the head healer, I'm gonna completely revamp this place. It's needed an upgrade for a while and now..." she found a bottle and set it on the bed, sighing, "...I guess I've got more than enough time."

She looked a little bothered for a moment, but she shook her head, and the expression was gone. She moved closer to my bedside. "Alright, I think I'm just going to take your entire top off, if you don't mind. Don't get any ideas—it just gets in the way."

I said nothing, but as she gingerly pulled the ruined top of my bodysuit over my head, I couldn't help but smirk at her.

She hesitated a moment as she looked at my completely naked chest and shoulders. "I...uh..."

"Has my perfect figure dulled that sharp tongue of yours?" I purred.

She rolled her eyes. "This is gonna hurt," she promised, putting her hands over the largest scrape. Fiery pain exploded across my chest, and I clenched my teeth so as not to scream as she healed me.

"You're getting fairly good at this," I remarked, realizing that apart from the scars from my stab wounds, my chest was clear of any wound.

"Thanks...I guess," she muttered.

She proceeded to heal all of my fresh scrapes, and by the time she was done, I felt better than I had that morning.

She put a hand to her head, slowly easing onto the bed.

"Careful," I murmured, pulling her against me. Without protesting, she rested her head on my bare shoulder.

"How are you?" She asked suddenly.

I wasn't sure how to respond. I could count the number of times someone had asked me that on one hand. And I had a feeling most of them were from Ocean herself.

"Why do you ask that?" I wondered. "It seems like a waste of breath. The answer is always supposed to be, 'fine', isn't it?"

She shrugged. "Maybe. But you can tell me the truth. You know I'd hear you out."

"I know."

We sat in silence for a while. She let out a sigh. "Roseza told me what happened."

I nodded, not knowing how to respond.

"Do your visions usually happen in Lanayru?" She asked.

"Lanayru? No. They haven't for a long time, if ever. Why do you ask?"

"She said..." the girl shook her head, looking confused. "Anyway, why did it last so long?"

I shook my head. "I don't know. That one felt worse than they have before. It was... different somehow."

"What did you see?" She asked.

I shook my head. "It's not important."

At my ambiguous remark, she stood up.

"You should sleep. Well, first you should tell Roseza you're okay, and then you need to sleep. Should I get her?"

I shook my head, getting to my feet as well. "No. I can find her myself. I will sleep in my room tonight."

She was staring at the ground. "Alright. Goodnight, then."

I was surprised at this. "Aren't you coming? I will walk with you."

She shook her head. "Thanks, but I think I'm going to sleep here tonight. You go ahead."

I opened my mouth, searching for something to say, but I was too weary to understand her motives.

She put a hand on my shoulder. "Goodnight, Ghirahim. I will see you tomorrow."

I frowned. When was the last time she'd used my full name? At least, without being angry with me?

"Alright." I nodded to her numbly. "Goodnight, Ocean."

I opened the door, half expecting her to change her mind. But she didn't. As I stepped out, she watched me go. I glanced at her one last time, and the expression on her face was grief.

* * *

**Did you catch the Monte Python reference? Well anyway, that's not nearly as much as I owe you all, but it's all I have so far. Please Fav/follow/review!**

**Please keep it up with the predictions and fanart and reviews, and just whatever you guys have to say. It's honestly one of the best feelings, hearing from you guys, and realizing my fanfic is actually part of your lives and thoughts. It's just incredible.**

**I don't know how edited this is, so sorry for typos. Also, I'm not sure I've answered all the questions you've submitted, but I'll try to fix that next time. I don't know when that will be, but it sure won't be another five or so months...**

**Stay safe.**

**Forever yours, **

**~Catwhiskers24~**


End file.
